Hidden Truths- A Klaroline Story
by melissah87
Summary: Set during the hiatus of VD season 5 and TO season 1. I have started losing interest in the shows because Klaus and Caroline haven't had any time together, so I was brainstorming how to get them together. What would happen if Tyler escaped and wanted revenge on Klaus? What if he tried to use Caroline to get it? This is an idea of mine.
1. Chapter 1

**In Mystic Falls**

The gang has figured out that Katherine is dying from becoming the cure. As everyone gathers, Katherine has Stephen give his phone so she can text Caroline.

_"This is Katherine. You may not do the favor I'm about to ask, but you are the one most likely to succeed. I want you to contact Elijah and let him know I'm dying, and I just want to say goodbye."_

_"Fine, I'll try" _–Caroline. Katherine was surprised she actually replied, as well as agreed to try. Caroline was always full of surprises in her opinion. She had killed her, threatened her vampire life, and was always a bitch. Yet, she must have heard right when she learned Caroline was the one with the closest attachment to her humanity. Now to wait until she knew whether or not Elijah would reply or could be reached at all.

**Caroline POV**

Caroline felt conflicted when she received Katherine's text. She had first thought it was Stephen, but that thought had quickly disappeared. "Why am I always the one who has to talk to the originals? " She thought. She had no clue what Elijah's number was, but she knew Matt had Rebecca's. She really didn't want to have to call Klaus. She knew Tyler was off plotting his revenge on Klaus, but she couldn't bring herself to call to get any news. She didn't think Klaus would kill Tyler after freeing him because of her feelings, but there are only so many times she could save him. Instead of overthinking the situation, she wondered if Elena had Elijah's number. She doubted it, but if anybody in the group had his number it would be Elena. Yet, she didn't think Katherine would want Elena knowing she was trying to give him a message. With that thought, she doubted she wanted Matt knowing either, so that left Klaus. Well, she wasn't going to make that call with so many ears around. She made the excuse of needing to talk to her mom before she headed to work and left. When she was far enough away, she pulled up his number and typed a quick text.

_"Hey. I know I haven't talked to you in a while, but I was asked to get Elijah's number so a request could be given. I know you're busy in New Orleans, and I don't want to bother you, but it's kind of an emergency." _

Her brain was running a mile a second with her nerves. She hadn't tried to contact him, and neither had he tried to contact her. She'd be lucky if he even had the same number. Before she could panic, her phone dinged with a text alert. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little afraid to read it.

_"What's the emergency, love? You aren't hurt are you?"_

_"No, it's not me. Hold on and I'll explain it." _She sent the text and then clicked the little green phone icon. Did she ever dread another call like this one?

_"Hello love."_

_"Hi. Okay, so to explain this properly, I need to explain from the beginning. Just keep calm and let me finish. Okay?"_

_"Sure love, but you're making my curiosity peak more than ever."_

_"Well, remember the cure? Elena forced it down Katherine's throat the night of graduation. She was fine until Silas fed from her until she was dry. After that, she began aging really fast, and now she's dying. She sent me a text from Stephen's phone, asking me to contact Elijah for her because she wants to say goodbye to him."_

_"I'm surprised you actually agreed to do it, love."_

_"Well, if it was me in her shoes, I would hope I could say goodbye to my loved ones. I know you despise her, and asking you is a long shot, but it was the only thing I could think to do. I know she has caused problems for everyone, but she has helped a little bit since she's become human. I was going to have to leave school, but she made it possible to stay. I owe her at least this last chance."_

_"I don't personally think you owe her anything, love, but I will help YOU if it makes you feel better."_

_"Really?"_

_"Is there anything else you need? You know you only have to ask, love."_

_"Unless I can magically get everything done faster during the days, I don't think so." _By now she was laughing. She forgot he was sometimes easy to talk to. _"Aside from classes, there's been Damon & Elena drama, Stephen's PTSD, Katherine being human, my Microbiology teacher conducting experiments on vampires, some guy named Enzo that Damon knows that is creating even more Damon/Elena drama, and lastly Tyler left."_

_"Is that all, love? What happened to Silas?"_

_"Well, after he took the cure out of Katherine, his long lost love, Amara, drained it out of him and they both died. Quetseya also rose, but she's dead too now. We used Silas' death to bring Bonnie back, but now she's the anchor to the other side. She has to feel the pain of every person that crosses through now. It also turns out that Stephen was Silas' doppleganger, and was passing himself off as Stephen while Stephen was actually in the safe that was in the bottom of the quarry… hence his PTSD now. Katherine actually managed to help him with that"_

_"I can see why you would want to get things done faster, love. I can relate to you on that. I did find what the witches were plotting down here, but no matter. I managed to reclaim my kingdom here, since it was my home once as well. There are only a couple more situations to deal with and then I would hope that you would mind visiting. I think you've earned a little vacation, love. Don't you?" _She could hear his pride talking when he spoke of New Orleans, but she couldn't mistake the slight tremble in his voice when he asked her to visit.

_"Maybe, we'll see if things ever settle down around here first. I also want to ask you something. Now, don't get mad and jump to conclusions. When Tyler left… all he could talk about was revenge. I don't know how or when he will try something, but just watch for him. If you see him, I just ask that you don't kill him. Just compel him to leave you alone if you have to, just please don't kill him. He may have left, but I don't want him to die." _Her heart was pounding with her request and she could hear his breathing change as she went on. She feared he may tell her she was too late in her warning or that he would do something worse when he saw Tyler.

_"I have seen him, love, but I assure you that he is still alive. His little plan failed, of course, and he is now imprisoned for his crimes. He wanted me to kill him, but I didn't. I knew you would never forgive me, if I did, and I thought his punishment would be better if he lived."_

_"Thank you. I know you didn't have to do that, but thank you. Did you know he only came back after summer for a couple days? Jeremy had told us that Bonnie died the day before graduation and we were giving her a funeral when he showed up. After a couple days, he said he only came back to say goodbye. He said you took everything from him, but I guess he didn't see what all he still had. He gave the rest of everything up for revenge."_

_"Revenge can become everything to certain people… I would know wouldn't I, sweetheart?"_

_"You may know, but it didn't consume you in your quest for him. You let him go. You gave him a chance to move forward, instead of running forever. I mean, look at Katherine. She spent her life running from you, and it hurt everyone she came in contact with. I may not like her, but I can see some of her motivations." _ She couldn't help herself. It seemed like she could never shut off her rambling when she talked to him. It felt good to talk to him too. She didn't like that Tyler was imprisoned, but it was better than being dead. She was almost home by then, and she started getting a weird feeling, like being watched. _"Hang on a minute, I'm just getting home and something's weird."_

_"What do you mean weird? Caroline?"_

_"Just hold on a second, I'll keep you on the phone, just don't talk."_

_"Caroline, don't put yourself in any danger. If it feels weird, get out of there."_

_"My mom is home, I have to make sure she is okay. I can take care of myself; I am a vampire you know. Just give me a couple minutes, you'll hear everything."_

_"Fine, just be careful." _He didn't like this one bit. He wanted her to get out of there, but he was all the way in New Orleans and he couldn't get there fast. He also didn't want to make any noise and give away her position if someone was there. He hit mute on his phone, so no noise would filter through on her end, and picked up the house phone. He started dialing his brother. _"Elijah, come over immediately, we have something to discuss."_ He immediately hung up on his brother and focused on his cell. He could hear her breathing and stepping lightly. He could tell she was moving slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Caroline had been moving slow, checking out each room as she passed them. She could feel someone there, but she didn't want to do anything that could possibly harm her mother. She knew she was home because her patrol car was parked outside. She was nearing her mother's room and the presence felt stronger as she got closer. When she entered the room, she caught a familiar scent, but she didn't think it was possible. Klaus had said he was imprisoned. What was he doing here? Where could her mother be? Her mother's room was empty, but she noticed the attached bathroom door was ajar. Dread filled her as she approached the room. She walked in and immediately noticed her mother submerged in the bathtub. She tried to go to her but was pushed to the wall. Plaster and wall hangings fell, as she looked at her attacker. Tyler. What happened? Did he do this?

_"Tyler? What happened? What are you doing here?"_

_"Isn't it obvious?"_

_"What did you do? Why my mom, Tyler? What did she do to you?"_

_"Well, let me explain this for you. I sometimes forget you are a blonde." _ This wasn't the Tyler that she had loved. Standing before her, crushing her arms and shoulders into the wall, was a monster beneath the surface now. _ "You see, Klaus killed my mother. He probably would have killed you if he didn't have a soft spot for you. He even mentioned you as a way to stop me from getting my revenge when I saw him. But, you see, I'm not his only enemy. Marcel was generous enough to release me from my prison. He wanted to know what would break Klaus more than anything. We already tried going after his child, but that wouldn't break him would it? No, his ultimate weakness is YOU! So, I'm sorry, but the you're going to have to suffer for him."_

_"Wait a minute, Tyler, what are you talking about? Who's Marcel? What child?"_

_"Well, I guess I can answer your questions before you suffer. Marcel was the ruler of New Orleans after Klaus fled to run away from his daddy. As the child is concerned, I'm guessing he never told you about him knocking Haley up. She may be a werewolf, but she's still alive, and Klaus is part werewolf."_

_"I always told you Haley was trouble, but you didn't listen and SHE is the reason the hybrids and your mom died. She set you up to fall, Tyler. And, fall you did. I despise the slut, but if she is pregnant, there is still an innocent child that doesn't deserve to suffer. Children cannot help who their parents are, you know that, Tyler."_

_"Wow, a slut for a mother, and an evil bastard for a father. What possibilities do you think that child will have with its parents? I would have been doing it a favor to kill it, and you know it."_

_"No, Tyler, I know you wouldn't have."_

_"So you are on his side. Good, that makes what I have to do to you easier." _With that, Tyler snapped her neck and pulled out his phone. Not only had Marcel let him out, but he had also had given his contact information for a witch that could use magic outside of New Orleans. The witch came inside and immediately started chanting.

_"She will remain unconscious in body, but she will know everything that is happening around her. It will be like she is awake sleeping, and can travel around. I must warn you; there is an antidote that could be made and used on her. She can remain this way for up to 2 weeks before dying completely. If she wakes, everyone will know what you've done."_

_"That is the reason for this…" _ Tyler reached over and snapped the witch's neck. He didn't want any loose ends that could wake her up. If he had permitted the witch to live, she could lead everyone to the antidote. Now to leave and wait for everything he planned to fall into place.

**Klaus POV**

He had heard everything, but he couldn't believe it. He called up some witches and vampires to make sure Haley was watched after. Then, he called his brother back.

_"Elijah, where are you? There is a situation that requires both of us."_

_"I'm just arriving, Niklaus."_

_"Don't leave your vehicle; I'll join you out there."_ He hung up and grabbed the bag he had packed while summoning the witches and vampires. When he sat down in the vehicle, his face betrayed his panic. _"We are needed in Mystic Falls, so I suggest you start driving and I will explain on the way."_

_"What has happened, Niklaus?"_

_"Just drive, Elijah! I must call Rebecca first."_ He pulled out his phone and wrung his sister. He may not be on good terms with his siblings, at present, but someone needed to keep an eye on Marcel and New Orleans, during his absence. _"Rebecca, I need you to do something for me. You aren't going to like it, but I don't care at this point. I need you to watch Marcel and the city for a couple days, while Elijah and I run an errand. Don't let Marcel out of your sight. He is behind this setup and I cannot speak further about it, right now. I will explain it to you, but do not trust him. Also, hide the dagger I gave to you and Elijah before he finds it to use on you. I need you to do this. Can you?"_

_"What happened, Nik? What are you talking about?"_

_"Where are you? Are you around Marcel?"_

_"Give me a second. Okay, I'm in a spelled room, by myself, so can you please explain what the bloody hell you are talking about?"_

_"I'm going to explain it to you and Elijah at the same time. You're on speaker sister, now just listen to me. I got a call from Caroline earlier. She was trying to get a hold of Elijah's number because Katerina is dying and apparently wanted to say goodbye." _Elijah looked like he was going to ask something but Klaus just held up a finger, requesting he let him finish. _"She was walking home when she was talking, but when she got there, she said something was weird. I asked her to leave, but her mom was home, so she wouldn't. She kept the call on, but asked me to be quiet while she investigated. I muted my side, just in case. Tyler was there. He killed her mother and had a witch cast a spell on Caroline. I don't know what spell it was, but I'm pretty sure I heard Tyler kill the witch. He said Marcel let him out, asking him what weakness would hurt me the most. Tyler betrayed Caroline to him, and Marcel let him leave. He also told Caroline about Haley, and what he had tried to do. Amazingly enough, she stood up for my child, saying it was innocent and didn't deserve to suffer for its parents sins. But now, she's in this because of me, and I'm going to get her out of it. I've already got people watching Haley, but I need you to watch Marcel and the city. Elijah, I'm bringing you because of Katerina. Caroline risked a lot calling me for her, and I will not let it go unnoticed. Plus, I know you will want to hear how she is on her deathbed. She's human, and rapidly aging. Elena gave her the cure, and Silas fed from her until she was dry. It left her human with over 500 years catching up to her. Now, does everyone agree to what I've asked?"_

_"I will go with you, brother." _ Elijah looked torn. He may have left Katerina, but he still cared for her.

_"Are you sure you heard right… I mean it could be another plot against us or you. She was always the distraction. And, Marcel pledged himself to you. Why would he need to do this when he has me? He's still powerful without being king." _Rebecca inquired. She was getting on his nerves already.

_"I know what I heard Rebecca. It was Tyler talking, or should I say bragging. The spell that was done will only last 2 weeks before it kills her, and I'm pretty sure Tyler didn't even know she had her phone still on. She either forgot about it, or was smart enough to keep it on so someone would know what happened. This wasn't planned. You could tell by the tone of her voice. She was scared. Out of all the times she was a distraction, she was never scared for herself. Plus, why would she want to endanger Tyler? She knows I would let him live for many things, except hurting her. That is what he's doing. I could hear her fear of him. Even when she was trying to sound brave, I heard her voice tremble."_

_"Fine, I will keep an eye on things here. But, if this is some plot against our family from that bunch of idiots, I will personally kill each one of them."_

_"Very well, sister, but I know you will find it to be genuine." _With that, he hung up on Rebecca. He looked to Elijah and saw the conflict he was feeling on his brother's face. _"Are you alright, brother? I imagine that the news of Katerina would be hard for you."_

_"It isn't just the news of Katerina that disturbs me. I was hoping your child would bring you the family, power, and peace you needed. I think I was wrong in my assumptions, or at least partly wrong. I know you do not care for the mother of your child, and I thought you would warm up to her at least. I now understand why you haven't. You care for Ms. Forbes. I never could understand why you would let her live with the number of plots she was involved in against you, but I think I do now. What I want to know is why you haven't had her join you in New Orleans."_

_"She cared for Tyler. I gave him his freedom for her. I told her I would wait for her… that I intended to be her last love. I have hoped she would join me in New Orleans, but from what I've heard, she hasn't even had time to think about it. Since we've left, everything has been crazy for both parties. Do you really think I could have brought her with us, and have her exposed to all of the dangers that could have easily killed her? I was trying to think about her safety, but it still backfired. She's been in danger because of everybody. Nobody thinks about her safety there, I can assure you. You know, she even tried to warn me about Tyler's revenge? Maybe not immediately, but she still told me about it. That's got to count for something, doesn't it?"_

_"Do you think she returns your feelings, Niklaus?"_

_"I honestly don't know. When we left, we parted as a sort of friends. She may forgive me for the things I've done to her and her friends, but she won't forget them. I do know that she is fiercely loyal; that's one of the reasons my pursuit of her didn't work. She was loyal to Tyler and her friends. Giving in to me would have been betraying them in her eyes. But now, I don't know if that's changed or what."_

_"Niklaus, I believe that Tyler may just ruined any loyalty she still felt for him. She'll still be loyal to her friends, but when we fix this mess that Tyler created, I believe that may feel differently about us; a couple of them may already. Matt spent the summer with our sister, and Stephen is usually supportive of Caroline's decisions. I know how to observe people, as well, brother. Maybe you should try to contact him and let him know we are coming to help."_

_"You're right; I forgot that no one knew there." _ Klaus went to call, but his phone started ringing. Fear pulsed through him when he saw the caller id. It was Caroline's phone calling him. _"It's Caroline's phone. It might be Tyler. Be quiet, brother, and let me handle this."_

_"Klaus, is that you? Oh God, please be you." _Surprisingly, it was Stephen. At least someone found her phone and had the sense to call him.

_"It's me; please tell me Caroline is still near her phone and that you found her."_

_"What happened? She won't wake up and her mother is dead. It looks like she drowned in the bathtub."_

_"Listen mate; She was on the phone with me when she got home. She had me be quiet because something felt weird to her. Tyler was there. He killed her mother and had a witch do a spell on her. I don't know which spell it was, but I think Tyler killed the witch too. I did hear the witch say that she will stay that way for 2 weeks before she dies. Elijah and I are already on our way. Get her somewhere safe and tell everyone what's happening. If you see Tyler, knock him out or kill him, but keep him away from Caroline."_

_"Why was Caroline talking to you? She was only supposed to be checking on her mother?"_

_"Apparently, Katerina wanted a chance to say goodbye to Elijah and asked Caroline to contact him. She called me to get Elijah's number and then everything happened."_

_"That's why Katherine wanted my phone earlier. She was talking to Caroline without anyone knowing it. I feel like an idiot. I shouldn't have let her leave, or I should have left with her. Things have been bad for her lately; I should have known something was going to happen. Look, just get here as fast as you can. I'll do anything to help save her." _Klaus heard the line end. What more could have happened to her that she didn't tell him about? He looked to Elijah, but Elijah was already pulling over. _"What are you doing, brother?"_

_"It will be faster on foot for us, Niklaus, and it looks like time is of the most importance."_

_"You're right again, brother, let's go."_ So the brothers left the vehicle and started running.

**Stephen's POV**

Why is it always Caroline? What did she ever do this gather this much bad luck? At least Klaus was still obsessed with her; it gave them a greater chance of saving her. How could Tyler do this to her? She had done everything for him, for their love. It just didn't make sense. Maybe his humanity is off? No, if it was off, Tyler wouldn't be taking his emotions out on Caroline.

_"We're going to fix this Caroline. I promise you that we will fix this, and then I don't care what I got to do to get you out of here. You won't keep surviving if I don't. You can hate me for all eternity, but you aren't dying on me. Losing one best friend is enough for all of eternity, I won't lose you too. Who else is going to be my sober sponsor, huh? Who else is going to team up with me to save the world? You know, I had to be saying this, but who else is Klaus going to care enough about to keep himself from how he used to be? He isn't just wrapped around your finger; you opened his heart up again. You did something that not even his family managed to do; you brought out the humanity he still has left. If you think for one second that he wouldn't destroy this world, if something happened to you, you're wrong. Now, let's get you somewhere safe and then we're going to fix this." _He picked Caroline up and ran her to the boarding house. He immediately yelled for Bonnie. When she came running, he covered her mouth. _"Listen; something happened to Caroline and we got to find somewhere that Tyler isn't invited into. I'll explain then, okay?"_

_"Okay, but he's been everywhere we have."_

_"I know, but I got a plan. There are several houses for sale here in town, and I need you to come with me long enough to put one in your name. You are the only one I can trust with this. I've already put Caroline in my car. Make an excuse and join me there."_

_"Okay." _She ran back into the living room and quickly ran to Jeremy. _"Listen, Stephen needs my help with something for Caroline. I'll be back in a little while, but until then could you make sure everything is running smoothly, and nobody speeds up Katherine's death?"_

_"Yea sure, Bonnie, just hurry back."_

_"I will. Love you." _She grabbed her purse and went straight for Stephen's car. Caroline looked like she was sleeping or temporarily dead. She looked to Stephen. _"Explain while you drive, please. What happened to Caroline, and what does it have to do with Tyler?"_

_"Okay, you may not believe it, but Tyler had a witch do this to her. She isn't going to wake up until we find a reversal spell or something. It will last 2 weeks before it kills her. Now, here's why you won't believe me, but I promise it's the truth. When I got to Caroline's house, I smelled Tyler's scent, but didn't think anything of it. I went upstairs and saw Caroline on the floor of her mother's room, half in/half out of the bathroom. I then saw Liz under the water, dead. I couldn't wake Caroline up, but I noticed her phone was close to her. I picked it up and looked at her recent calls list. Klaus was the last person she called. I couldn't think of why she would call him, but it had to be important for her to call him after they left. He had been on the line when Tyler was talking to Caroline. He overheard Tyler's plan and his confession about killing Liz. He and Elijah are on their way to help, but until then, we have to get her somewhere Tyler can't get in to."_

_"Oh my god; Are you sure it was Tyler and Klaus isn't lying? I mean, why would Tyler go after Caroline?"_

_"The only thing I can think of would be Klaus' feelings for Caroline. Klaus granted Tyler his freedom for Caroline. After every time she turned him down and was Klaus bait, he still had feelings for her, and Tyler knows this. He left Caroline to get revenge on Klaus, but what better way to get revenge than by taking away what a person loves the most? Klaus loves Caroline; you'd have to be blind to not see it. She may never love him back, but it didn't stop him from falling for her. Now, Tyler is so consumed with his thirst for vengeance against Klaus, that he's lashed out at Caroline. She was the one who stood by him through everything, and then he left her, and now look at her. Apparently, he doesn't love her if he's willing to kill her, or he's hoping Klaus will kill him and put him out of his misery."_

_"Like that saying: If I can't have her, no one can. Only he's thinking about Klaus, and not what he's doing to her and everyone she cares about. What are we going to do? We can't kill Tyler. She wouldn't want that. We can't keep him alive because he won't stop."_

_"If it comes to it, I will kill Tyler. Think about it; everyone has hurt her. The least likely person to do this, in her mind, would be me. Hopefully, one day she will forgive me, but at least she would be alive. She'd most likely suspect Klaus, and I'm sure he wants to, but he would be torn between protecting her and staying in her good graces."_

_"Aren't you?"_

_"Yes, but I'm not trying to get her to fall in love with me, like he is. Do you really think she would even consider it, if he killed Tyler?"_

_"Why are we discussing this like you want them to be together? Klaus has proven he's evil time and time again. She shouldn't be able to even look at him with anything but disgust and you know that."_

_"We're all monsters, Bonnie. Look at the last couple years; who hasn't been?"_

_"That's different. We all did things for the people we care about."_

_"And he didn't? Do you know why he wanted to become a hybrid again? It wasn't just because he had been denied a part of himself that he wanted back. He was trying to protect his family. He killed their mother and father, to protect them. In doing so, it kept us all here. Caroline, Elena, Abby, Damon, and me are all descended from him. Who knows how many others are, as well. Yes, it hurt all of us when he came into our lives, but he never denied his actions or the reasons behind them. We were on separate sides of the battle, but we had the same motivations."_

_"And you think that justifies him? You think Caroline is better off with him?"_

_"It justifies him as much as us, but I don't honestly know what would be best for Caroline. I know that when we get this fixed, I'm getting her out of here. She can hate me all she wants, but she can't keep going through things like this. If I have to get Klaus' help getting her out of here, I will."_

_"Why are you telling me that? You know she isn't going to go willingly, nor will anyone let her go willingly."_

_"I'm hoping you will help me get through to her and everybody else that it's for the best. Think of how much she has went through. She has survived everything thrown her way, and not once has she flipped her humanity. How much more do you think she will able to take before she breaks? Her mother and father are now, both, dead. Elena was with Damon, after everything he did to Caroline. We still don't know everything he did. She refuses to talk about it, and Damon always looks guilty when he sees her or talks to/about her. Then there were the werewolves, the council, Alaric, her Dad torturing her, the hybrids, Elena without her humanity, and Silas. Should I keep going? That isn't all of it, and you know that. What do you think runs through her head every day she wakes up? I'm not just talking about what she's been through physically either. She's been through hell every way she could. She's been there for everybody; even when she was in agony."_

_"I understand Stephen, but we've all been through hell. We're all still in it almost every day. We've all lost people we care about and most of us have died ourselves."_

_"This is why I want you to come with us, when I get her to leave. You and Jeremy have both died. We can't keep sacrificing everything. I also don't want Elena to go, or know where we go. I will always care for, but enough is enough. She made her choice, and even if it didn't play out the way she wanted, I will not be who the mess falls on this time. You know Elena will probably try to get back with me, now that Damon has broken up with her. I can't keep putting myself through that; especially when I know she would have Damon back, if he changed his mind."_

_"I can't just leave my home, Stephen. Plus, you know Jeremy wouldn't leave his sister. Right now, we need to focus on helping Caroline. We may not even be able to save her, so it's no use fighting about the future until we know something for sure. I hope against all hope that we can save her, but we have to look at the possibility of us failing her too."_

_"I know that Bonnie, but I know Klaus. He won't even consider the possibility of failure when it comes to Caroline. When he gets to town, watch how he is with her and how he looks at her. Don't say anything; just watch. Also, when they get here, we have to invite them in. Klaus will stay with Caroline while me, you, and Elijah go back to the boarding house. We still have to tell everyone what happened, and Elijah will want to say goodbye to Katherine. Katherine used my phone to talk to Caroline earlier and ask her to contact Elijah. So, in a way, it's mine and Katherine's fault she was alone for this attack. You know she wouldn't have involved anyone in that."_

_"It's not your fault. If Klaus hadn't killed the hybrids or Tyler's mom, we wouldn't be in this mess. Klaus twisted Tyler into this thing he's become."_

_"Haley set Tyler up for that. She taught him how to break the sire bond, and then gave him the idea for the rest of the hybrids. Then, she made sure to let Klaus know about it, but she let Klaus believe it was all Tyler. He only figured out Haley's involvement later from Caroline, but by then it was too late. Klaus let it go; Tyler didn't. He just won't stop until one of them is dead, but killing Klaus means killing almost everyone he knows. The only ones that would survive would be you, Jeremy, and Matt. I'm not going to let him kill everybody because he let some girl screw with his head and get him in trouble."_

_"Fine; I'll watch, but I won't like it. You know how I feel about all of the originals, especially Klaus. If he manages to find a way to save him, I'll be a little more open-minded to the idea. However, I don't want to leave, and I doubt Caroline will either."_

_"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." _He said as they pulled into the realty office parking lot. Stephen locked the doors and went in to compel the staff to speed up the buying process. Most people would have just compelled the office for a deed, but Caroline would kick his ass if he didn't at least pay the people for their troubles. The whole process didn't take very long; only about 10 minutes, and then they were on their way to the new house. It wasn't far from the boarding house. They needed to be close to each other for this to work easier. The ride there was silent. He knew Bonnie was deep in thought. He didn't know if she was thinking more about finding a spell or what he had told her. He didn't linger too long on it. _"When we get there, invite us in and I will put Caroline in there with you. Then I will go and get some necessities for everybody. I'll just run and return with a U-Haul. I'll leave you the car, in case you need it. I won't be long. While I'm gone, I'll also call Klaus and let him know what's happening and find out where he's at."_

_"Okay, just hurry. I don't want to be away from everyone for too long. You know they're going to be suspicious while we're gone, and they're going to explode when they hear everything."_

_"I know. I'll be back soon." _Stephen took off running. He rented the biggest U-Haul on the lot and drove to the furniture store. He was in the process and picking out everything the house would need when his phone rung. _"Hello?"_

_"Stephen, we will be in Mystic Falls in about 20 minutes. Do you mind telling me where we are supposed to meet you?"_

_"I had a house put in Bonnie's name. She's there with Caroline now. She was the only one I trusted with this, in such a short time frame. It's close to the boarding house. I'll text you the address when we hang up. I'm getting things that we will need in the new house and then I'm going to stop for some blood bags. I'll meet you there." _He hung up so he could work faster and texted Klaus the address. He compelled the truck loaders out of his way and loaded the truck up quicker than waiting on them to do it. After finishing, he went by to pick up the blood bags and proceeded to the safe house.

**At the Safe House (No One's POV)**

_"Is this the correct address?"_ Elijah asked.

_"Yes, it appears so. I believe I hear the witch's heartbeat from hear, but there's 2 sets of breathing. I believe we should wait for Stephen to be sure."_ Klaus replied.

_"Looks like we won't have to; there he is now, Niklaus."_ The elder brother stated.

_"Perfect timing, you two, I'll go let Bonnie know to come to the door."_ Stephen supplied as he entered the house. It wasn't but a minute later he returned.

_"Miss Bennett, would you mind inviting my brother and myself into the house so we can check on Miss Forbes state?"_ Elijah asked.

_"Elijah, manners later; right now I'm worried about Caroline and I just want to see her." _Klaus spoke impatiently.

_"Elijah, you are invited in. Klaus, do you promise to not hurt anyone while you're here?" _Bonnie said.

_"The only person I can think of hurting right now is Tyler. However, I'm more worried about getting Caroline better to search for him. So, would you please invite me in?"_ He was getting more and more agitated. Sure, she had no reason to trust him, but she should be more worried about Caroline. Bonnie studied him for a moment and looked at Stephen. He nodded, meaning do it before he changed his mind.

_"Come in, Klaus. She's in the living room. We didn't have a better place for her yet, so you'll find her on the floor." _She said. She looked sad when she described where Caroline was, so Klaus didn't say anything else. He just walked in and went straight to Caroline. She looked peaceful; almost like she was sleeping, but he knew the truth. Everyone took that as their cue to to what they needed to do. _"Klaus, we three are going to the boarding house to explain what's happening and let Elijah see Katherine. Stephen will bring a couple things in before we go. We need you to stay here with her."_

_"Elijah, you're welcome to bring Katerina here, if you want. I know you will want to protect her, and I need my brother here." _He said as a tear escaped him. He brushed it off, hoping no one would notice. They did, but no one said anything about it. Bonnie looked at Stephen; he wasn't lying when he said to watch him with Caroline. Could it actually be true that he was capable of actually loving her? She knew she would be talking to Stephen about it later, so she went to the car.

_"I will be back shortly, brother. I'll bring Katerina and help you situate where we will be placing her and Miss Forbes." _Elijah replied and took his leave to the car with Bonnie.

_"Here's a bed and some blood. It isn't much, but it will do until I get back and can get the rest in. When this is over, and we get her through this, I want you to promise me a couple things. I want your help to get her out of here. She can't keep going through these things. Secondly, I want you to let me be the one to kill Tyler, instead of you. I know you'll want him dead, but I want to kill him. If you do it, there's no guarantee you'll ever get her to love you back. If I do it, I'll eventually earn her forgiveness, but she'll never forget it."_ Stephen inquired while placing the bed and blood down in the floor. Klaus placed Caroline on the bed and sat next to her, just gazing at her face. When he turned to speak, Stephen could see the indecision on his face.

_"I promised her I wouldn't kill him. It's never been so hard to keep that promise, until now. I cannot be a part of the decision regarding his life. I'm sure you understand. I won't ask you to, but I won't stop you either. Does that answer your question?" _Klaus supplied.

_"What about getting her out of here?"_

_"I won't force her to leave, but I will help you convince her to leave. Where were you planning on taking her? I'd still like to know where she'll be."_

_"I was thinking about New Orleans, unless you have a better idea. What better place to take than where there are 3 originals to help me protect her?"_

_"Do you really think she's going to agree to be in the same town as us again? Besides, why would you leave your precious Elena? Did you fall out of love with her and in love with Caroline, or did you finally see the light?"_

_"Listen, I love Caroline like a little sister. I don't and I've never felt anything romantic for her. You haven't always known Caroline. You didn't see what kind of person she was before she was a vampire. She experienced some things before becoming one of us, and I promised her I would help her adjust to this life. I haven't protected her like I promised. I know she's been through more than you know about, or even I know about. She doesn't talk about those things, and I won't go into details. I will say that she's the strongest person I know. Most people would have cracked by now, but she hasn't. I don't know how she'll be after this, but I want to help her stay her. I want her to see that being a vampire doesn't always mean being kidnapped, tortured, and used, and so on. She's lost almost everything she has ever held close. I don't know how she has stayed herself, but I refuse to let her lose who she is."_

_"So, you've seen the light. I knew from the start that she was strong. I even told her that. She didn't believe me, of course. I won't explain everything right now, but she's always been special to me. Something about her made me notice her, and when I did, I couldn't get her out of my head. I know she is going to need our help, though, so go. The faster you go, the faster you'll be back. I won't leave her side for anything."_

_"Okay, we'll be back as fast as possible. Oh, for a heads up, we aren't inviting Elena or Damon in here. We don't want any more unnecessary attention here."_ Stephen said as he walked out, leaving Klaus with his thoughts and Caroline.

_"Hello sweetheart, I came as fast as I could. We're going to get you through this and then maybe you'll agree to that vacation I offered. I know you can hear me, but you can't talk back. I want to talk to you about a few things, and we have a little time to ourselves before every one gets back. I heard everything that Tyler and the witch said. I already have witches looking for the antidote the witch mentioned, as well as the spell she used on you. Without hearing the words again, I can't tell the witches to help them track faster. Maybe Bonnie will know something, I don't know. I know Tyler told you about Haley too. I just want you to know that she means absolutely nothing to me. It was one night, when she was giving me information on Katerina. We had been drinking a she offered one night, with no strings attached. She was tired of Tyler's rejections and I was beginning to believe I would never have a chance with you. It was the worst mistake of my life. When I went to New Orleans, the witches were holding her hostage because they knew she was pregnant and they said it was mine. I really didn't care, but Elijah made me help. I don't mind that I will have a child, but I fear it means losing you forever. I don't want that, love. I would give everything up for you; all you would have to do is give me a chance. I know you wouldn't make me choose between the child and you, but I would do it if I thought it would let me have you. I said I would be your last love, and I meant it. Don't give up on me for that mistake, please love, just get through this, and we'll get you out of this hell. We'll go anywhere you want to go. You are not going to die on me, love; I refuse to let you. You can hate me forever, but you are going to live. You know, Stephen agrees with me on this. Do you think anyone can stop us from saving you? Hell, if it means helping Elijah save Katerina, I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive. You don't even have to ask for that. You know how I feel about you; you called me out on it the night I bit you. In case you need reminding, I will tell you every day that I'm in love with you, whether or not you ever feel the same."_

He knew she heard him, and he could imagine the earful he would be hearing if she was awake. He wouldn't care; he would let her say whatever she needed to. When this was over, he would repeat everything face to face, but for now he could only talk to her unconscious body. He knew she was listening; he could feel her there. It was almost like she had her hand on his shoulder, but he didn't know if that was the case or not. Her physical self was still on the bed, but he didn't know if she could leave her body with this spell. Some spells let you do that, but others kept you confined in your mind. He hoped it was the former; being trapped in the mind is too much like a prison. He stretched out next to her, just watching her breathe and stroking her cheek.

**Caroline's POV**

She couldn't believe the things going on around her. She knew everyone was discussing her situation at the boarding house, so instead of listening to everybody repeat everything, she decided to travel to where her body was. It was no surprise to her that Klaus was still beside her. She didn't think he would leave unless it was necessary. However, she didn't expect to hear him talking to her. She was glad he wasn't peeking under her clothes while he had her to himself. She gave herself a mental shake, and kept listening. She was glad that some one knew she could be talked to, but hopefully he would tell the others soon. If not, she would have a bone to pick with him.

_"I already have witches looking for the antidote the witch mentioned, as well as the spell she used on you."_

Good. Maybe that means I can wake up soon. I don't know how much more of this I can stand. I want to smack him and Stephen on the back of their heads, and then I want to let my anger loose on Tyler. He has definitely taken things too far this time. I can't believe Klaus isn't tracking him this very minute and even more surprised that he is letting Stephen make the decision on who's going to do what to him.

_"I know Tyler told you about Haley too."_

Here we go; this is going to take a while. What I would give to smack him now.

_"I just want you to know that she means absolutely nothing to me. It was one night, when she was giving me information on Katerina. We had been drinking a she offered one night, with no strings attached. She was tired of Tyler's rejections and I was beginning to believe I would never have a chance with you. It was the worst mistake of my life. When I went to New Orleans, the witches were holding her hostage because they knew she was pregnant and they said it was mine."_

Okay, sleep with whomever. But, seriously? That were-slut? She's the reason behind Tyler and the hybrids. It's bad enough he slept with her, but now she's carrying his child. Why is this bothering me? How can he call having a child a mistake? Does he not know that it makes him sound a bit like Mikael, even if he isn't? And, how do the witches know it's his? She IS a slut, so it could be anybody's child really. He may be part werewolf, but he is still part vampire. Vampires can't procreate; it's insane. Again, why is this bothering me and why am I asking myself about this?

_"I really didn't care, but Elijah made me help. I don't mind that I will have a child, but I fear it means losing you forever. I don't want that, love. I would give everything up for you; all you would have to do is give me a chance. I know you wouldn't make me choose between the child and you, but I would do it if I thought it would let me have you."_

Figures Elijah would make him help. Although, if it is his baby, he should help the child. Who cares what happens to Haley? No one really, but he or she would still shouldn't have its mother. ARE YOU SERIOUS? You STILL keep chasing me? What is with this guy? You got the were-slut knocked up and you still want a chance? I thought Damon and Elena's drama was bad. You've got to be kidding me. Well, he got it right about me making him choose. I wouldn't. It's a child and it needs its parents. How does he think it's even rational to choose between us? Still, it bothers me. I don't know why it bothers me, but it does.

_"I said I would be your last love, and I meant it. Don't give up on me for that mistake, please love, just get through this, and we'll get you out of this hell. We'll go anywhere you want to go. You are not going to die on me, love; I refuse to let you. You can hate me forever, but you are going to live."_

Yeah, that's what you said, but you forgot to mention the were-slut and baby. I know you were afraid to tell me. Wait a minute; you still think I'm going to leave my home? Oh no you don't buddy. I'm mentally slapping you right now. You can refuse to let me die all you want, but I'm not leaving home yet. You take me out of this town, and I will hate you. I will NOT be forced out of my home. You and Stephen both are sooo getting hit in the head and maybe your necks snapped for this.

_"You know, Stephen agrees with me on this. Do you think anyone can stop us from saving you? Hell, if it means helping Elijah save Katerina, I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive. You don't even have to ask for that. You know how I feel about you; you called me out on it the night I bit you. In case you need reminding, I will tell you every day that I'm in love with you, whether or not you ever feel the same."_

I know Stephen is agreeing with you, but it doesn't mean I'm agreeing with you on this. You have other things to think about besides kidnapping me. You have a baby on the way, and I don't know what Stephen is thinking when he said we would go to New Orleans with you. I really really don't want to go there. No, I don't think anyone is capable of stopping you from saving me, but I'm capable of stopping the BOTH of you from taking me away from here. Okay, save Katherine, I wish you would anyway. Wait a minute; did I just say that? Alright, save Katherine for your brother, and yes, I know you will do whatever to save me. I know I don't have to ask; seriously I didn't have to ask this time. Yes, I know how you feel about me, and I knew I was right when I called you our on it. Oh god… is he seriously going to go through this confession now? I don't need to hear this right now, or ever, I don't know. Stop. Stop. Don't do it. Oh god… he's not stopping. Whether or not I EVER feel the same? Okay, so I know how he feels, and I know what he said at graduation, but does he really think he's going to wait around centuries? I mean, COME ON! He's got a baby on the way. That right there says he didn't really wait before, so what's different now. He's probably still screwing around. Why do I care? Again, why is it bothering me? If he really understood how to care about someone, he wouldn't want to hurt them, and he knows that sleeping with her and knocking her up would hurt. Why am I still thinking about this? Okay, so can get along from time to time, but that doesn't mean anything, does it? Okay, now he's just staring at me while I'm sleeping. Normally I would call him creepy, but his face isn't showing any mischief. He looks like he's scared of actually losing me; like I'm going to die if he takes his eyes off me. I know he thinks he's in love with me, but is it really true? He looks like it's true. Okay, mad Klaus I can handle, stalker Klaus I can handle, grief Klaus I can handle, but this Klaus I don't know. I'm not even thinking when I put my hand on his shoulder. His breathing changed when I did. Could he feel me? I didn't know for sure, so I kept my hand there for a minute. When I took it off, I thought about going and checking on everyone at the boarding house or tracking Tyler, but then Klaus stretched out next to me. Too close, Klaus; you better not do anything funny. He doesn't; he just keeps running his thumb over my cheek, and the funny thing is, I can feel it. It's strange feeling something happening to my body when I'm not in it. What's even stranger is that I didn't feel Bonnie or Stephen when they touched me earlier. I couldn't think anymore, so I went back to the boarding house. Everyone was arguing. Perfect; take time to argue while Klaus is staring at my unconscious body in the same bed.

Then the thought hit me. Klaus could feel me touch his shoulder. Could anyone else? Could I move something? I spotted Damon drinking some whiskey in a glass; perfect target. I went over and smacked it out of his hand.

**At the Boarding House**

_"All I'm saying is that this was the best option to save her." _Stephen said.

_"You know he's going to come after me for something; he always does. I'm tired of being a target. That's why it was a good thing he left town." _Elena replied.

_"Come on guys, shut up. Elena's got a point, Stephen. I mean, are you really going to put her at risk to save Blondie because she's having issues with Tyler?" _Damon smarted off. He was laughing for a second, but then he felt hit glass being smacked out of his hand. He tried to see who did it, but no one was close enough. _"Okay, what just happened? Who smacked my glass out of my hand?"_

_"It has to be Caroline. She may be unconscious, but she could have traveled outside of her body. Kind of like astral projection, but not purposely. Although, it appears she still doesn't like you, even when she can't talk back." _Bonnie stated. If Caroline could move things, then she could communicate without talking. _"I've got an idea. You know how Ouija boards communicate with the dead? What if we used it to talk to Caroline? If she can smack a glass out of Damon's hand, she could move a pointer. Or, we could try letting her type on a computer. It's worth a shot."_

_"That's a great idea. I suggest we get what we need and get back. And Elena, you don't have to worry about Klaus. Caroline is more important to him than you will ever be. As a matter of fact, you and Damon will not be joining us over at the new place. You can stay here, but Katherine is coming with us. Elijah wants to help her, and Klaus is set on Caroline. Bonnie, it's your choice to help or not, but I would prefer you be somewhere that Tyler cannot get into. Jeremy, you're welcome if you want to stay with Bonnie. Matt, I won't stop you from coming to see her, but I would suggest keeping a low profile since Tyler would use you to get to Caroline, knowing you're her friend like you was his. I don't know or care what you think about him now, but for your own safety, I would suggest not siding with him on this. Elijah, get Katherine and let's go."_

Everything happened quickly after that. Elena was struck speechless after Stephen told her she wasn't important in Klaus' eyes. She was the doppleganger. Of course she was, or did everyone forget that? She would just stick with Damon through this. He may have broken up with her, but he would still keep her from Klaus. Elijah went and retrieved Katherine and put her in the car. Bonnie and Jeremy decided to go with Stephen and Elijah. Jeremy didn't really want to go, but Bonnie refused to not go, so he went with her. Stephen grabbed everything they would need for her to communicate, as well as some of his clothes, and went out to the car.

**Caroline's POV**

With everyone preparing to head back, she focused on Tyler. She didn't want any surprises waiting for her friends on the way over. He was at the Lockwood cellar. That really didn't surprise her. He was talking on the phone. Must be Marcel he was talking to, she assumed. He was telling the other talker what he had accomplished so far. He listened as the guy said he didn't know where Klaus or Elijah was, but Rebecca was still in New Orleans. It wouldn't take long to figure out Klaus and Elijah was in Mystic Falls, or the fact that everyone had a new base camp. She made a mental note to say that when they tried to help her communicate later. She was about to head back to the house, when she noticed movement. She froze, afraid to touch anything, in case it moved. She then saw Haley walking in with a syringe. Haley waited for the phone call to be ended and stuck the syringe in Tyler. He fought the effects for a couple seconds, but then drifted off. Why was Haley here? I thought she was in New Orleans? Did Klaus bring her here with him? He wouldn't do that, would he? She better tell everyone she was here.

**Safe House **

_"I don't think she's here right now. I mean, it actually felt like she was at the boarding house when she knocked that drink out of Damon's hand. Plus you said you felt her, and you think she touched your shoulder. It had to be her. She may be trying to spy on Tyler. He wouldn't be able to see her, and might accidently reveal information or something. It's….. HOLY SHIT! Caroline? Is that you?"_ Stephen had been talking when he felt someone goose his ribs, when nobody was close to him.

The keypad on the computer started clicking, and everybody kept a distance so she could finish. Klaus was having the hardest time resisting going over and trying to feel her, but kept his distance.

**Typing works. Yes, thank god. You have no idea how hard it is to not argue with everyone today. Anyway, I followed Tyler. He's at the Lockwood cellar, but that's not what I'm worried about. He was talking to a Marcel guy. Marcel doesn't know where Klaus and Elijah are yet, but it won't be long. He's trying to find out behind Rebecca's back. Haley showed up at the Lockwood cellar and put a syringe in Tyler's neck. I don't know what's happening now, but someone better get to her soon. The restraints at the Lockwood Cellar won't hold him for long. We were going to replace them months ago, before he left, but didn't get a chance to. I'm going back. Just hurry, Klaus. You know why I'm rushing you so get your ass down there, or send Elijah if you have to. Don't chance it. Be back later; leave the computer on and open. I won't be long.**

Klaus and Stephen were the first ones to read Caroline's message.

_"Elijah, get to the Lockwood cellar now. Haley's there and I don't know why. Find out and then make sure you get Tyler locked up where he won't escape. I've got to get a hold of Rebecca." _Klaus said and ran upstairs.

_"Hurry Niklaus, Rebecca could be in danger." _Elijah said and blurred out of the house. Bonnie and Jeremy read the message and sat down next to Caroline, waiting for the computer to type again.

**Lockwood Cellar**

Tyler was waking up as Haley watched him. She had a lower dose of vervain/wolfsbane mixture ready to keep him off his feet. When he started tugging at his restraints, she gave him the shot.

_"Hello Tyler. I bet your wondering why I'm here. Trust me when I tell you this, I didn't want this to happen, but you've left me no choice."_

_"Oh shut up! You're nothing but a traitorous slut bitch."_

_"Maybe so, but you will listen to me before I kill you. Now, do you want to know why I slept with Klaus? I found out I was pregnant, Tyler. After everything with the hybrids, I knew you wouldn't listen to me or help, so I seduced him. He thinks it's his child. The witches told him I was pregnant with a hybrid's child, and they were right, but they named the wrong hybrid as its father. It's yours, Tyler. Now, I'm reduced to trying to seduce Elijah so I can still have protection. He wants to protect what he thinks will be a niece or nephew, although I'm pretty sure it's a girl. So, you can see why I have to kill you. I wanted to tell you the truth, but the truth would sign my death sentence. Then, you kidnap me and wouldn't let me talk, so kept quiet and stayed with my plan. However, you just couldn't give up, could you? I overheard Marcel bragging about a new plan for going after Klaus' weakness that didn't involve my baby. I put 2 and 2 together. I knew they were talking about your little blonde girlfriend. I knew he would come running to save her and it could jeopardize my plans because she isn't completely stupid. Vampires can't have children without help from a witch. I had a witch use a spell to get me pregnant by you, but I didn't think it worked until after the hybrid massacre. If I hadn't made it specific to just you and me, you could have got Caroline pregnant, and I surely didn't want that. I wanted her away from you, so we could be together. Klaus was pursuing her, and I thought he would win her over and you would fall into my arms, but it didn't happen. She was loyal to you, even when you weren't loyal to her. Now that you know everything, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you to protect our child and myself."_

_"You know what Haley? You really didn't think this through. The spell that was used on Caroline has an antidote for one, but the real kicker is that she probably just heard everything you just said. If she figures out how to communicate with the others or manages to survive, which I doubt, your cover is blown. She would tell everyone. That includes Klaus and Elijah. I hope you know how to run."_

_"That's why I'm going to go kill Caroline next. Thanks for revealing a getaway plan. Goodbye Tyler." _With that, she cut open his chest, reached in and pulled out his heart. Tyler was right; Caroline was listening, but what they didn't know was Elijah had overheard everything and left immediately to go back to the safe house. He called Klaus to let him know Tyler was dead by Haley's hands, and that he needed to hide Caroline.

**Elijah's POV**

Elijah stood outside of the safe house, waiting on Haley to make her approach. Not being a vampire would delay her trip there, but no matter. She had made a fool out of his family and himself. How could he be tricked this easy? Had blind hope almost destroyed everything his family held dear? Katerina could be better by now, and Caroline could be safe if they hadn't left because of this mess. The girl would pay for her crimes. The child would not suffer this life, with parents like that. As he heard her approaching he stayed out of sight. He saw her peeking in windows, looking for any sign of Caroline. He came upon her slowly, and knocked her unconscious. Then he tied her up and took her to the basement, where he chained her to a table. Now it's time for his brother to know the truth. He then texted his brother to come to the basement because he wanted him to see how she looked when the truth came out.

_"Brother, I trust you found the little wolf."_

_"Yes, Niklaus, as well as some interesting information. Let me get her awake before I reveal it, but I know you can't wait to hear it. Just know this; you are no longer obligated to keep her alive, or the child."_

_"What are you talking about, Elijah?"_

_"Wake up Haley. We have much to discuss. Ah, good, you're awake now."_

_"Elijah? What's going on? What happened? Why am I tied down? Get me out of here. Hurry please!"_

_"No Haley. You see, I know you were on your way here to kill Caroline. I was at the Lockwood cellar to protect you from Tyler when I overheard a bit of shocking news. Any guesses what I heard?" _Haley paled and kept silent. _"I heard everything. Niklaus, congratulations, you are NOT the father of this woman's bastard child."_

_"WHAT?!"_

_"You heard me; she admitted to using a spell to get pregnant by Tyler Lockwood right before the hybrid massacre. It was successful. Since she had betrayed Tyler and feared for her life, she then seduced you in order to pin it on you and receive protection. I also overheard that, right before she killed Tyler, that the reason she was killing him was because she knew the truth would eventually be found out with his quest for vengeance. Even she knew Caroline would question it when she heard about it. Apparently, she knew Tyler would tell her and it could lead to her plan failing. She was already having difficulty keeping you interested in the child, so she used my care for an unborn child to seduce me into keeping her safe from you."_

_"Well, well little wolf. You have been busy. Elijah, I trust you have explained this to Rebecca?"_

_"Yes, I have. She has already told me her thoughts as to how to punish this one, but I think I like my plan best. You see, I do not wish to kill an innocent child, so I will cut her open and take the child out. Then I will make several more cut along her body to ensure she won't heal enough to survive. I will either guide the child through its life, or kill it should the need ever arise."_

_"I really don't care what happens to either. I have more important issues to deal with besides the trash." _Klaus spat and walked out, leaving Haley with Elijah.

_"You know, it wasn't smart to play the originals. Our vengeance is legendary. What did you think would happen when we found out?"_

_"Just kill me and my child. I would rather be with my child in death than have it raised by the likes of your family."_

_"Very well, but this is going to be a very slow process. Let's see how long you can last before you're begging me for death."_

**Upstairs**

_"Well sweetheart, I know you heard everything at the Lockwood cellar and downstairs just now, so I'm wondering if you have any ideas on how to proceed from here. I can't remember the entire spell used on you, and Tyler is now dead, so I can't ask him. I don't know what to do. Did you recognize the spell from one of Bonnie's books or any of Professor Shane's?" _Automatically the computer keys started tapping.

**I didn't get to hear all of it because pain was a major side effect, but I can tell you that I haven't heard it before. So maybe Bonnie would have it, without me ever seeing it. As far as Shane goes, your guess is as good as mine, but Bonnie has all of his books now. Maybe Bonnie has something that would help you remember. I'm not really in a position to repeat it. And yes, I did hear everything today, and I do mean EVERYTHING. Every one of you needs to get some sleep now. You need your minds focused in the morning because I don't want to stay like this any longer than I have to. By the way, tell Stephen to that his brother is going to try and be stupid again during lunch time tomorrow. Everybody needs to be back here before then.**

_"Damon is always stupid, love. Everyone knows this. However, you have roused my curiosity. Do we need to plan for a counter-attack?"_

**Yes, have Stephen or Elijah compel the Realty Company to forget this house and that it was sold yesterday, as well as the furniture store and U-Haul service. It'll slow him down long enough for a better plan. It would probably be best to disable phones while here too. Damon knows how to track them.**

_"Smart and quick thinking… well done, sweetheart. I know your body is sleeping, but are you able to rest at all? Knowing you, you'll be bored before too long."_

**No, I don't think I can sleep this way, but its fine. I'm sure I can handle being alone for a few hours; it's nothing new you know.**

Klaus was thinking about how true that statement was for her. Her father was dead, her mother had worked most of the time, and her friends were always worrying about Elena; he hoped she realized she wouldn't have very much alone time after this.

_"Don't get used to being alone, love. You won't be this way very much longer and then you won't get rid of us."_

**Whatever**

_"I know you can see me, and I can picture how you're looking at me right now. You look like you want to yell at me, and then smack me."_

**Not smack… maybe punch, kick, or snap your neck. I'm not really sure right now.**

_"I thought so. I'm not stopping you, love." _He would let her do what she needed to do to get her frustration gone, and he would at least be able to feel her again. He waited, but nothing happened. _"I'm waiting, sweetheart. I know you're still here."_

**Now is not the time. I will probably wait until I'm back in my body so I can do it properly, and when you least expect it.**

_"Whatever works for you, love. How far have you tried to travel? Do you think you could leave town?"_

**I don't know. Hold on and let me try.**

He hadn't wanted her to actually try it; he was just wondering about the limits she had.

**OMG! I did it but I'm afraid I'll be blind for life. I saw things I never wanted to see. It was highly disturbing!**

_"Well are you going to tell me what you saw?"_

**I don't think you want to know.**

_"Now I really want to know"_

**Fine; you asked for it. I saw your sister first. Then I focused on Marcel. I now know what he looks like. Even parts I didn't want to see. Does your sister know he's a man-whore?**

_"My sister is the jealous type. If she knows, he won't live long. I would assume she doesn't know, unless she has someone watching him. That is a likely possibility."_

**Well at least tell her to have someone watch him. No one deserves that, and she should pick up and move on with her life.**

_"I'll text her now. In the meantime, don't travel too far, please. We wouldn't want to risk you getting stuck somewhere and not know where."_

**I learned something else while I was there. Marcel was the one who told Tyler about the witch to use on me. She wasn't from New Orleans, but she was from Mississippi. Her name was Lily Reynolds. Maybe that will help you track the spell faster. Plus, I actually had an idea earlier, but I forgot until now. I think we can save Katherine. Remember when you came to town, and had yourself put in Alaric's body? Well, what if we found someone who was dying anyway that she could go in to? Would that work? From there, she could be a vampire or a human. It's worth looking into. Your brother may put on a brave face, but he needs her to live.**

_"You never cease being brilliant, sweetheart. I'll speak with Elijah and some witches to see if it's possible. You're welcome to follow me when I talk to him. Everyone else has gone to bed, and you don't really want to be alone."_

**Fine, but if you feel me punch your shoulder, come back to the computer.**

_"Works for me. Let's go, love."_

**In the Basement**

_"How are you doing, brother? Have you been enjoying yourself?" _Klaus asked Elijah.

_"I think you already know the answer to that question. How are things upstairs?"_

_"Well, Caroline has been communicating with me, and has given some ideas as to help Katerina for you. She seems to think that Katerina could possibly do a body transfer to someone who has no chance of survival, and become a vampire again. It's just a theory, but we could have some witches check it out. Also, she tested her limits with traveling. She saw Rebecca and Marcel. Let's just say our sister will be getting a call so she can have Marcel watched. Caroline showed up at a highly inconvenient time, so I don't think she's going to be going back there for a while, unless it's absolutely necessary."_

_"Miss Forbes is smart for her being as young as she is. She has surprised me with trying to help Katerina. I wasn't aware she liked her."_

_"Oh, she doesn't like her. Katerina is the one that killed Caroline, among other things. I don't really know the reasons behind some of her decisions, but I would assume it's because her humanity is so strong. And, we also know her and our dear sister have never got along, but yet she still wanted better for her than Marcel."_

_"You're absolutely right, but I think our talk will have to wait a few minutes. It seems Haley is waking up. She has requested for her and the child to both die. I have agreed, but I will punish her first. Of course, any information I gather will have to be sorted through before it will be worth anything."_

_"Just kill me Elijah. I'm not going to tell you anything, and I'd rather die than waste any more of my time with you originals." _Haley spat as she started fighting her restraints. Before Elijah or Klaus could move, Caroline pushed on his shoulder.

_"Elijah, excuse me for a moment. I'm being summoned upstairs. Don't kill her until I'm back…. I want to watch." _Klaus blurred upstairs, hoping Caroline wasn't hoping to spare Haley. However what he saw was enough to blur back downstairs to get Elijah. _"Elijah, make sure she can't escape and come upstairs quickly. You won't believe who's here."_

**Upstairs**

Klaus and Elijah came back into the room, joining Bonnie, Jeremy, Stephen, and one person they didn't expect. Kol was standing there, talking to Bonnie.

_"Listen Bonnie, I'm not alive, nor am I here to hurt anyone. You're the anchor now; I have to pass through you, but I have to tell my brothers a few things. It will help everyone here." _Kol announced.

_"Fine; just hurry up. Couldn't you have at least waited until morning so everyone got a good night's sleep?"_

_"Actually, I have to wait a little longer than morning. Did you forget Tyler died? He'll have to pass through you, and I have no doubt he is going to try and wreak some havoc before he goes, especially if he can see Caroline. Someone has to protect her spiritual form, and I'm the only one that's able to see her. The same will happen if my brothers kill Hayley before Caroline is put back in her body."_

_"Well, if you aren't passing through for a while, I'm going back to bed. I feel absolutely drained."_

_"I would say so in your condition."_

_"Yes, I know I'm the anchor. That doesn't mean I don't like sleep."_

_"Oh I wasn't talking about that condition. I was sure your instincts would have picked it up, but I guess not yet."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Why don't you go get some sleep and I will enlighten you in the morning. There are some timed issues to take care of, and you need to be at your best."_

_"Yes, because now I'm going to be able to sleep while something is wrong with me and no one will tell me what it is." _Bonnie spat and walked back upstairs. Kol then turned to his brothers, who had been standing there speechless and staring at their dead brother.

_"Well, let's not all speak up at once, brothers."_

_"Kol? Brother? How is this possible?" _Elijah asked, amazed at seeing him standing before them.

_"It's possible because the anchor is in the house. Anywhere else and you wouldn't see me. Before I discuss anything further, I need to speak to Caroline. Caroline, I know you travel out of the house, but I'm asking you to stay here until Tyler passes through Bonnie. If he managed to keep you away from your body, no spell would bring you back in time to save your life. There are people here protecting your physical self, and I will be here to protect your spiritual self. If you have to travel, I will go with you, but let's stay here unless it's an emergency. Now, brothers, I know you want to question my motives for helping, but there is nothing to worry about. I'm not particularly thrilled to be in the same house as one of my killers, but the situation demands it. Also, Nik, stop blaming yourself for my death; I know you didn't plan on me actually dying. You only wanted to dagger me, and I saw how you took my death. I was in the room with you the whole time. I wish you could have heard the things I was telling you after you bit Caroline. You admire her loyalty and honesty, but when she showed it that night, you lashed out at her. Caroline, I don't think he could ever actually let you die, so don't hold too much of a grudge against him. Might I add, your face is priceless when you blush bright red…OWW. Hey now, just because I mentioned the fact your moment with my brother was supervised, doesn't mean you have to get mad at me. No, I am not trying to make your life hell, I am only teasing you. What else do I have to do right now?"_

_"Kol? Can you feel us, or us you?" _Klaus asked, walking closer to his younger brother?

_"Somewhat. I'll seem solid, but I can't actually feel the living. I could feel when Caroline smacked me because she did it with her spiritual form. It's actually like she's dead and alive at the same time."_ He barely got everything out in time to receive his brothers wrapping their arms around him. Both of Kol's older brothers were fighting tears, but couldn't help the escape of a few.

_"Maybe we should have Rebecca come and see you before you go. She's been mourning you, as well." _Klaus said, looking hopeful to the thought of seeing his brother for a little while longer.

_"I don't know how long after Caroline is awakened that I can hold off passing on. It's difficult enough to pass through the anchor right now. Little Bennett is going to many rude awakenings in the short future. I will go ahead and tell you all now that she's pregnant. You can't hear the heartbeat yet, but she should have been able to tell not too long past conception. And Caroline, don't you dare type that out to her. I want to see her and Jeremy's faces when I tell them. Call it my payback for Jeremy and Elena killing me. Yes, I know you want to be back in your body right now. Oh my god, woman, you will have plenty of time to shop for her baby shower; she's only about 4 weeks along. She conceived the first time she had a round with Jeremy, after being brought back from the dead. Now, stop pacing and just focus on what all you want to shop for; make a mental list to fulfil when you're back in your body."_

_"Love, I think my brother has a point. I'll even loan you my credit card to shop with. We got to get you back in your body soon or things are going to get bad." _Klaus injected quickly. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting a little jealous of the fact his dead brother could actually see Caroline. Who knew what he would be filling her head with, while she wasn't back in her body.

_"Niklaus, since Kol is here to protect Caroline, and my prisoner is tied up beyond the point of escape, I suggest we take a short rest and begin again in the morning. Kol isn't going anywhere, and now Caroline isn't alone is a sleepless state."_

_"Alright, Elijah. Kol, wake us if anything happens or you two learn something new that will help."_

_"Actually brother, I know something that would help you remember the spell used on Caroline. It's a memory spell. Between the two of you, you both know the entire spell. You would need to get it from her memory, but the spell needed for that is in Professor Shane's storage unit, and Bonnie can't do the spell. I will give you contact information on a witch that can be trusted to do the spell, in the morning. Now, go to bed, we will be here in the morning."_

_"Goodnight" _Klaus and Elijah responded simultaneously.

_"Goodnight, brothers."_

**Kol and Caroline POV**

_"I can't believe you got your brothers to go to bed. Nor can I believe you were there when Klaus bit me."_

_"For starters, I'm using the dead card to get my way with getting them to go to bed. It's not difficult to get them to listen when they've mourned you. As for when Nik bit you, yes I was there. I also know you didn't really want to call me a horrific burnt corpse in front of him, but Tyler would have suspected you if you had asked to cover me up. Thank you for that, by the way."_

_"I didn't personally have anything against you, and it's what I was always taught to do. But, you're right, Tyler would have said something. You know, I thought I saw you briefly, before I shut my eyes that night. I thought it was a hallucination, but I guess it was because I was so close to dying."_

_"No, it was me. My brother almost let his pride get in his way that night. When he was taking care of my body, he was speaking to me about you. I have hope that he will win you over. I know you feel conflicted, but it's not really that complicated. You're afraid of what you would become; whether or not you would still hold on to your humanity as strongly. Plus, you're worried about what your friends would think. I can help you with this, somewhat. Nik wouldn't ever let you lose yourself; he values your humanity as it is. So, you don't have to worry about that. As far as your friends are concerned, some are already thinking it would be a good thing. Stephen is all for it, Bonnie is considering it, and Jeremy would support Bonnie on this. Matt would only want you happy; he knows we aren't all evil and scary 100% of the time. I think you know this too. I wouldn't worry about Elena; she never worried about you when she went through men like underwear."_

_"I take it you sort of forgive Jeremy, but you won't Elena?"_

_"That would be correct. Elena is selfish, but she hides it. She makes everyone believe she's not, but uses her feminine ways to have the men in her life do her bidding. Also, she's put 2 brothers at war with each other over her, just like Tatia did with my brothers, and Katerina did with many men. She also makes the women around her feel inferior, so they never do what they want for themselves. They are always trying to stay in her good graces. It needs to stop. You, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Stephen would all be free of that life with your decision."_

_"Kol, it's not that easy. It isn't just my friends' judgment I'm worried about. I'm worried about their safety; not necessarily from Klaus, but he has enemies. If they went after him, they could use me or my friends against him. We're not originals; we die more ways than you can. Besides, your brother is a thousand years old and has seen all there is out there. I'm a 19 year old, stuck in a 17 year old body that has never been anywhere. I'm nothing special; how long do you think I would keep his interest?"_

_"There will always be some danger out there, but you'd be stronger together. As for my brother's interest… in the thousand years he's lived, nothing has captured him like you have. It isn't a game with you."_

_"And when the chase is over? When he has what he wants, he won't be interested anymore. That's how it always is."_

_"Not with my brother. He's a thousand years old; he knows what he wants. I know what you've been through. The dead talk to each other. I won't tell my brother what Damon did to you, but that wasn't even a real relationship, so don't count it. Matt and Tyler were both boys that weren't ready for the real thing. Matt couldn't face what your were because he hadn't moved on from Elena, but if she wanted him back now that she's a vampire, he would go to her. Tyler needed help with transitioning and you became his friend because you're a good person and wanted to help. As things progressed, you were the only one looking out for him and actually helping him. If he got rid of you, he wouldn't have lasted as long as he did, and he knew it. Elena also killed your little crush, I know. That wouldn't have gone far; he was nursing a broken heart, just like Matt over Elena. You both would have used each other as a rebound."_

_"Well, you know my history. Tell me; if your brother knew all of what I've been through, do you think he would still look at me the same way? No, he would look at me with pity or disgust for letting myself get in those situations."_

_"And that is where you're wrong. He already thinks you're stronger than what you should be, even if you were a couple centuries by now. He wouldn't look at you with pity or disgust; he would look at you with wonder and amazement. He loves you for you, and that is what you have always wanted. I know you feel something for him too. Maybe you're not in love with him yet, but you care for him. You've refused his attempts at wooing you at every turn. If you actually gave in, and let him, you'd fall rather quickly."_

_"What is with all of you being so cocky? You're so sure that everything would be perfect, but you can't actually guarantee it. Your brother is a powerful person; that means not only will he have enemies, he will have responsibilities. I don't know anything about that kind of stuff. But, I think you would definitely need to talk to my brother about this. Actually, that gives me an idea. Let's go upstairs and get into my brother's dream."_

_"What? No no no. I don't think so. Why would you even suggest that?"_

_"Well for one, he's dreaming of looking for you, but he can't find you and he's beginning to get afraid. He'll start thrashing soon and then wake up. If you want him to get any sleep, you'll do it."_

_"I don't even know how to do that."_

_"Its fine, I'll help you. I'll even go with you, and take the blame for everything. Death card, remember?"_

_"Fine, let's go." _As they blurred upstairs, Caroline noticed Kol had been right. Klaus had started moving around and he was sweating. _"What do I do?"_

_"Focus on entering his mind and seeing him there. When you get there, let me do the talking and then I'll leave you to it."_

_"Here goes nothing."_

**In Klaus' Dream**

The forest was thick and fog was starting to roll in as he searched for her. He looked up the see the clouds rolling in, as the sky grew increasingly darker. He had to be dreaming, but he was afraid he wasn't. Of course, he figured out he was dreaming fairly quickly when the scenery changed. When everything stopped, he was standing on the bank at the bottom of the falls, with the sun shining brightly. He looked around and saw Kol and Caroline standing right behind him.

_"Hello, brother, I figured you would like a change in scenery and company. I showed Caroline how to enter your dream so you would actually get some rest. She'll stay here until it's time for you to wake up, and then I'll be back to show her how to get out again. Don't worry, I'll be close by to guard you both." _Kol said and disappeared.

_"Sorry, he said you were beginning to have a nightmare, and that you would wake up if it didn't stop."_

_"It's alright; I'm glad I can actually see you to talk to you. I hope my brother has been behaving himself while you're stuck with him."_

_"He actually has been behaving himself; trust me, I was surprised. He was talking about you, some."_

_"Well that is never good news, sweetheart. Was he telling you all of the horror stories of the big bad wolf?"_ He asked, smirking. He was actually nervous, wondering what his brother could have told looked a little uneasy as she was, most likely, figuring out what to say.

_"Actually, he wasn't telling me horror stories. He was trying to help you out, in a way. I don't know what he was thinking."_

_"You're making me nervous, love. What subject, regarding me, was he talking about?"_

_"Me." _Was all she replied.

_"That doesn't make me feel any better. I think I'm actually starting to become afraid to hear what he said." _He rambled as he started pacing. She actually looked more relaxed and sat down next to the water. After she patted the spot next to her, he debated for a second, and then followed her down.

_"He didn't say anything bad. Like I said, he was trying to help you. I've had less than 5 minutes to process what he said, so I won't explain it to you completely, but I will tell you he was trying to talk me into giving you a chance. Your brother loves you, you know. He was telling me about the night you bit me. I saw him then, but I thought it was a hallucination. It wasn't; it was really him. He had looked panicked and was trying to tell you something. He didn't tell me what he said to you, but he did thank me for covering him up. You know I didn't mean what I called him that night; I just couldn't let Tyler know how I really felt. I know it hurt you when your brother was killed, but I couldn't say anything. Showing any sympathy for you would have given away the fact that I didn't hate you."_

_"You've said you hated me."_

_"I know. I've said I hated a few people that I don't. Honestly, I don't hate anybody. When I was younger I told my mom I hated her. I didn't hate her, but I blamed her for not being with my father and working so much. After she came to terms with me being a vampire, we were closer than ever before. It's hard to face the fact that she's gone. I can't even mourn her, or prepare to bury her, because of this stupid spell. I won't even get to see her before she passes on because she's not supernatural. She's just gone. I don't know what I'm going to do. She wasn't supposed to die like that. She was supposed to live a full life, and be old in her bed when she left me. But now, it's like Elena, Jeremy, and even Bonnie and Matt. Sure Bonnie's mother is a vampire and Matt's is off in the world somewhere, but they can still see them if they found them."_

_"You know you're not alone, right love? Family isn't always being blood related. It's who you care for as family. I may not be the best person to talk to when it comes to caring about people who aren't family, but you still have family. Stephen considers you his sister, Bonnie probably does too, Elijah and Kol are protecting you like they would our sister, and you know how I feel. Did you know Katerina feels bad about having you contact Elijah? She thinks it's her fault that this happened to you. She said that if she hadn't asked you to get a hold of him, you wouldn't have even went there alone."_

_"It's not her fault. It's Tyler's fault. He was the one that plotted this and killed my mother. She probably helped me out by asking me to do that. If she hadn't, I would have been went home later, and not been on the phone with you. By her asking me to call Elijah, I was on the phone with someone to know what happened, which saves the time of trying to figure it out. We probably saved days or a week by already knowing what happened."_

_"I think you're right. Although, I do blame myself; Tyler wouldn't have went after you if I hadn't killed his mother and the hybrids. Not to mention, falling for his girl isn't the best way to calm him down."_

_"True, but it isn't your fault. Hayley was the one that set it all up, and left you and Tyler to battle it out. If I wanted to further elaborate, Professor Shane was the one that gave her the information on how to do everything because she was looking for her family. However, Professor Shane was being driven by Silas, who was trying to reunite with Amara, after pissing off Quetsiya. It's all one big, fat pile of manipulation. This was all set in motion because of a 2000 year old grudge."_

_"Wow sweetheart, you've spent a lot of time on this haven't you?"_

_"Not really, no. I just think that things should be seen for what they are."_

_"All things?"_

_"Yes, all things, even when they're confusing or hard." _She turned her head to look at the water. She knew where he was going with this line of questions, but that didn't make it any easier. He seemed to be taking the time to think of what to say or work up the courage to say what he really wanted. She didn't know for sure, but she would bet on the latter. It wasn't easy for him to openly express his feelings, so she knew it could take a while.

_"What about how you feel for me? Is it confusing or hard?"_

_"A little of both. I don't hate you, but I don't like how you do certain things. You know, you can actually be good company when you aren't plotting something. But, I can't think for just myself. I have to look at possible consequences, and there are a few that could happen." _She turned to face him. He looked so vulnerable, she almost lost her nerve right then, but she had to say what she was thinking. _"I admit, I have thought about what it would be like with you. How would I know you wouldn't be planning something that involved people I care about? Or, how would I know that your enemies wouldn't go after someone I care about to get back at you, through me? It's possible that both could occur and I couldn't stand either. So, can you see what is so hard and confusing for me?"_

_"Yes, I can, love. However, I wouldn't be planning or plotting anything, except how to make you happy. I don't need all of that power, if it means losing what's important. And… as far as my enemies go, I would do whatever was necessary to make sure you and your loved ones were safe. I may have not used to best methods of keeping my family safe over the centuries, but I won't be protecting them in the same way. I already gave the remaining dagger back to Rebecca and Elijah before all of this happened."_

_"If someone was coming after a person under your protection, how would you deal with them? Would you kill them? You know, that only makes more enemies."_

_"What would you do? You've killed to protect loved ones before. I know you didn't want to, but it happens sometimes."_

_"I know I did. But, you can compel your enemies. I hate compulsion, but if it keeps someone alive, I wouldn't be against it."_

_"Why do you hate compulsion? I know you take vervain, Tyler mentioned it when he was first sired to me, but he didn't know why."_

_"Tyler wouldn't know, and the reason I don't like it is because I don't think people should lose their free will."_

_"You say it like you've been compelled before, but I know my family has never compelled you. That means, if you were compelled, you were human. Who compelled you, Caroline?" _She could tell he was upset. His face grew tense, and his eyes darkened. _"It was Damon, wasn't it? What did he make you do?"_

_"How did you know it was Damon? And, I'm not telling you because it's in the past and I'm over it. As long as he doesn't hurt anybody I care about, I won't hold it over him."_

_"What did he do to you, Caroline?"_

_"Last time I say this; I'm not telling you. Besides, you can't do anything to him. It would kill Stephen if something happened to his brother, and it's the only thing I really have to use over Elena if I decide to give in to you."_

_"What?"_

_"You heard me. I haven't said yes, but I don't say no either. I don't know; remember, confusing and hard. But, Elena got with Damon after everything happened. She knows I can't stand him, and I think he was the wrong choice. But, it's not my life, so I'm letting her live with the consequences. Stephen tries his best to avoid her now, Bonnie and I don't see her much, and Damon is even drifting away from her. He ran into a vampire he knew when he got captured by Dr. Wes at school. Apparently him and Enzo have a history, and Damon thinks he'll drag Elena down if he stays. So, he broke up with her, but she isn't letting him go. I don't know everything about it, but I really couldn't care how it turns out with that mess."_

_"You shouldn't be worrying about it. You have your plate full right now."_

_"But, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to help her?"_

_"What kind of friend is she to you right now? Elijah and I are here to help you and Katerina, but she and Damon are plotting against us, saying that it was all a plot to get to her. The girl could disappear for all I care. I have no intentions towards her of any kind. My only intention is getting you better and helping my brother with Katerina. After you both are better, Elijah can do whatever him and Katerina decide; she's free. I want you to go with me. It doesn't have to be New Orleans; we can go wherever you want. We can even take Bonnie, Jeremy, and Stephen with us if you want, but let me get you out of here before I lose you for good."_

_"I know you and Stephen are determined foe me to leave this place, but when I leave, it will be on my own terms; no one else's. I know I can't stay here forever, but I still have things to do. And, do you really think Elena would let Jeremy leave? Even if he left with Bonnie, she would follow him. He's her brother, and Bonnie wouldn't separate them. I don't think bonnie would want to leave anyway, especially when she finds out she's pregnant. Stephen is the only one willing to go, and he's got good reasons for wanting to leave."_

_"Mystic falls is a magnet for danger. Bonnie and Jeremy will probably want to get out of this town and find a safe spot for their child. Elena will have to accept the fact that her brother is grown and starting a family of his own. If she doesn't let him go, she's being selfish, and pointlessly putting them in danger. Leaving would be the easiest way to ensure their survival."_

_"Let's just see how everything turns out. I still have to get back in my body. There's no guarantee that we will get what we need in time…"_

_"Don't say that. I'm not going to give up. We will find the spell and get you back long before the time is up."_

_"You don't know that for sure. You have to be prepared if you don't. It may not …"_

_"It will work, so please don't think of yourself dying." _He begged. She would have pressed further, to get him to face the possibility, but he was right in her face, with a determined look. She wouldn't win this argument right now. So, she just looked down and nodded. When she felt his hands on her cheeks, she looked back up. He was definitely closer than before, with his forehead nearly touching hers. She almost stopped breathing. _"Just… trust me with this. I'm not going to let you die." _He didn't move, and could barely breathe. He was staring at her so intense; it left her a bit confused. Was he going to try to kiss her? What is going on in that head of his? Why am I not pulling away? Why am I so calm about this? When he looked down at her lips and back to her, her breathing stopped altogether. Sure, breathing wasn't necessary, but why am I not panicking? Oh god… he's getting closer…. He's going to do it. Shit! What do I do? Do I pull away or give in? If I pull away, I'll hurt him, but I'm not ready for this.

_"Alright lovebirds, it's time to wake up now. Well, look at this! I think I interrupted at the wrong time. Maybe I should come back in a few minutes, but then everybody else would be pissed at having to do all of the work, while you two canoodled." _Kol loudly interrupted. Caroline was thankful at his timing; it would give her time to think more about this. Klaus looked disappointed, but didn't say anything to her for a minute.

_"I'm going to miss seeing you today, sweetheart, but you can talk to me with the computer or my brother. Kol, go ahead and go; I will show Caroline how to leave my head."_

_"See you out there, brother." _With that, Kol disappeared.

_"To get out of my head, you just have to focus on where you want to be. For example, you can go anywhere you want in the house, but for now focus on my room. Kol should still be there."_

_"Okay and I will talk to you when you're free. You're going to be busy today with all of the spell searching, and Bonnie ranting about being pregnant, and dealing with Haley, and I'm rambling; I'm going to shut up now."_

_"Don't worry about it, love. It just lets me know I can get under your skin and make you flustered." _He said with his smirk full in place.

_"Why do you think I'm flustered? I ramble on a lot of things; daily planning for instance."_

_"Because… if my brother hadn't interrupted, I'm sure you know what my intentions were."_

_"I figured as much. But, let's get out there before your brother has to come back." _She said as she tried focusing on getting out of his head. Klaus wasn't making it easy on her. He started standing behind her, breathing on her ear, and placing his hands on her shoulders. Oh my god, I'm never going to get out of here, if he doesn't stop. What is he doing? Why is he doing that? He told me to concentrate, but he keeps distracting me.

_"Problems, sweetheart?" _She knew he was doing it on purpose now. His voice had dropped to a husky sound. Damn him for distracting me! Just FOCUS Caroline! Out of Klaus' mind, I need to get out and be in his room! When she opened her eyes, she looked down and saw Klaus waking up in his bed. _"Good job, love."_

_"Caroline, what did my brother do to make your face so red?" _Kol asked with his own smirk in place.

_"He tried distracting me, so it would take longer to get out of his head, but I'm out, so it didn't work."_

_"Oh, it may have not worked, but it did have its own effect. Could you turn any more red?"_

_"KOL!" _Klaus and Caroline both shouted at the same time, but of course, Klaus was the only one that could be heard throughout the house.

_"You two are so easy to tease! Hey Nik, do you know she hollered at me at the same time you did? Ow, now Caroline stop hitting me. Nik, you're needed downstairs, and Caroline… I'm getting ready to tell Bonnie her news, so you may want to get to the computer."_

_"Fine!" _Klaus and Caroline said at the same time again. Caroline looked at Kol with a facial warning to keep quiet. It really was too creepy that they were so similar at times.

_"Kol, will you please just stop making things so awkward? I have to figure out things with your brother on my own. I talked to him, and let him know that I don't know what I've decided, but as you saw, I think that means he's going to try harder. Don't speak back right now; he'll know I'm talking to you about it. When you came back, I was caught between wanting to pull away and give in, and it scared me. I wasn't ready for that to happen, but if I had pulled away I would have hurt him. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't know how to let him know that I'm not ready to decide, without hurting him. Do you see my dilemma here?" _Caroline was close to tears as she explained her situation. Kol nodded, and bent down to whisper to her where no one else would hear.

_"Just tell him what you just told me. He'll understand better than you think. If you want, just wait until he's sleeping to discuss it with him."_

_"What if he doesn't?"_

_"He will and even that won't make him give up on you, so don't worry."_

_"Okay; let's just get everything we need done today. I want to be back in my body as soon as possible."_

_"Are you not enjoying my company? Relax, I'm only teasing again. I know how frustrating it is to not have anyone see or hear you."_

_"I am sorry that you died. I didn't fully agree with their decision, but it was a little too late to say anything."_

_"I know that. You don't have to tell me. I was there and I know what happened."_

_"Yea, but still. I'm complaining about getting my body back, and you won't have a chance to if you pass through Bonnie. You'll be gone for good. I don't know if you'll be born into a new life or what happens after that, but I can't help but feel bad about it."_

_"I'll be fine. Let's get you and Katerina fixed. Maybe I'll be reborn and come tease you two."_

_"Kol, no teasing; I mean it. I can still smack you"_

_"I'll tone it down, but no promises."_

**Living Room**

Everyone was gathered around waiting on Kol to come back downstairs. Klaus, Elijah, and Stephen could hear him talking, and they knew it wouldn't be too long. Apparently, he really was being a gentleman and trying to help Caroline out. Klaus had never wanted to wring his brother's neck so much in his entire existence. First he interrupted him and Caroline in his dream, and now he was keeping her from joining them. If he didn't know any better, he would be worried about his brother staying so close to Caroline, but it was required for her safety.

_"Kol, would you please come down here and tell me what you meant last night?" _Bonnie's patience had run out while waiting for Kol to come back down. She didn't like how he had showed Caroline how to get into Klaus' dream, or the fact that Caroline now had 2 originals following her around.

_"Coming Bonnie darling; now before I explain this to you, I first want to say congratulations to you and Jeremy. Jeremy, I may have been spent to Denver to spy on you, but I did actually enjoy your friendship. Hence, I'm not as upset with you as I am Elena regarding my death. Bonnie, I don't really know what to say to you personally, so I'll get right to it. You two will be having a baby. Bonnie, you're about 4 weeks pregnant, and you conceived the first time you two got down and dirty after being brought back from the dead. Okay, I've explained it all. Now, don't shoot the messenger."_

_"What?!" _Jeremy had paled instantly and looked to Bonnie.

_"How do you know that?" _Bonnie asked.

_"You may remember that the dead talk on the other side. Well, I was told to tell you by the lovely Sheila, your grandmother. She thought it would bring you happiness that is much needed, and to show you that there is hope in the darkness."_

_"That sounds like something she'd say. Oh my god, I'm pregnant. Jeremy? Are you okay?" _He looked even paler. He wasn't upset about it; he actually felt good with the news.

_"I'll be alright; it was just a shock. Don't worry, I am happy about this, but I need some water. I'll be right back." _He got up to go to the kitchen, but fainted. Stephen caught him before he hit the ground and put him back on the couch. Then he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water for when Jeremy woke up.

_"Thank you, Stephen; I know he's going to need this. Would you mind getting me a glass too?"_

_"Yes, of course. I'm sorry; I didn't even think."_

_"It's okay Stephen, there's a lot going on." _Stephen blurred to the kitchen and then returned with Bonnie's water.

_"Okay, now that we're all gathered, let's proceed."_ Elijah said gathering everyone's attention. _"We first need to sort out who needs to find what for each Caroline and Katerina. Both are timely issues that need to be dealt with quickly. Katerina's situation has been confirmed to be fixed easier than Caroline's. Caroline's idea of a body transfer will work. From there, she can be made vampire again, and carry on with her life. I already have a witch on her way to do the spell, and she has found a suitable body to place her in. Caroline's situation is a trickier. The same witch that is on her way made a stop where Lily, the witch who placed the spell on Caroline, was resided and gathered her grimoires so we could search for a solution. In the meantime, Kol has explained a back-up solution. We could search easier, if we knew the exact wording of the spell used. Between Niklaus and Caroline, their memories hold the entire spell, but it is difficult to piece them together. Kol suggested transferring Miss Forbes' memories to my brother, to put the whole spell together. This would be very helpful, but I would assume Caroline would like to add her input?"_

_"She isn't too comfortable with the idea. She wants to know if it would transfer all of her memories, or just the ones from the spell." _Kol spoke for her.

_"That is uncertain, but you would have to entertain the possibility of all of your memories transferring. We would do our best to avoid that scenario, but it is still a possibility."_

_"She says that she would do it if it was only from the time of the spell, but she really doesn't want to transfer all of her memories to anyone. Nik, she says… "No offense, but she doesn't want you knowing every little detail of her life and that some memories are private." I don't think it would be a problem for either of you to get to know each other a little more, but this spell would only be one-sided. Although, brother, there are things that I'm sure she wishes to forget, and doesn't want them brought up again. She agrees with me on this. She is freaking out too, and don't you dare hit me Caroline or I will help him sort through every memory you ever had. That woman hits a lot; are you sure you want try to take her on?"_

_"Kol, would you please stop riling her up. I would love nothing more than to respect her wishes, but if we get to a point where the worst case scenario is the only way to save her life, then I will do it. I won't act on anything I see in your mind, Caroline; I will promise you that, if it makes you feel better." _Klaus spoke quickly, hoping to bring an end to this debate.

_"She says that you acting out isn't what she is worried about. There are things she doesn't want anybody to see."_

_"I wouldn't tell anyone what I would see; bloody hell, Caroline, let me help you."_

_"Brother, you may want to talk this out later; she is really starting to panic here. I meant what I said, Caroline, do NOT hit me again. Stop panicking and I will stop calling you out on it. I'm the only one that can see you, and I don't do well with women freaking out. Thank you, but you can stop looking at me like you want to kill me; I'm already dead. Oh god, don't cry! Nik, what do I do?"_

_"How am I supposed to know? You did this to her; I told you to stop teasing her. Plus, bringing up the fact that the only person can see her is in fact dead, is not the best way to calm her down. Caroline, just breathe and focus on something else. Think of your happiest memory and focus on it."_

_"I think it's working. Caroline, I'm sorry for making you upset; I will watch what I say to you. Okay, I won't talk to you again, unless you tell me to. It looks like she will be talking through the computer again, if she talks. She says she doesn't want to talk anymore."_

_"Well, let her have some peace and don't crowd her. She'll talk when she's ready. Now, push aside the subject we just had, and let's see if we can find out what kind of antidote the witch could have been talking about. Kol, do you think the witch could be found before time runs out? Could you find her and bring her here to point us in the right direction?" _Klaus asked. He didn't know why he didn't think of it sooner. They had so much on their plates right now; it was hard to think clearly.

_"Possibly, but there's a risk of running into Tyler trying it. He hasn't tried to pass through Bonnie yet, so my guess is he could be guarding the witch, and restricting her from passing through on her own. I really don't know. I could try to, but I don't know what she looks like. I could get the wrong person or anything. Hold on…." _Kol appeared to be listening to someone. Perhaps Caroline was talking again. _"I know you know what she looked like, but you can't go without me following you; it's too dangerous. You have to stay here, remember? I got an idea; focus on what she looked like and I will peak inside your head. I know you don't like the idea, but it will only take a couple seconds, and as long as you focus I won't see anything you don't want me to." _Kol kept listening and then closed his eyes and reached his hands out. Everyone knew Caroline had agreed to let him see the witch. True to his word, Kol opened his eyes after about 5 seconds. _"I know what the witch looks like now. I will focus on her and try to bring her back. If Tyler is with her, I will bring him and shove him to Bonnie. Bonnie is that alright with you? Caroline would be safer if he passed through you."_

_"Yes, that fine. I'll be ready, but hurry. Caroline I need you to get behind me and stay there. Don't move, no matter what happens." _Bonnie answered.

_"Caroline, she will be fine. This is her role; being an anchor won't kill her when he passes through. This is only necessary if Tyler is with the witch. She might not be, but it is possible. It's better to be prepared than not." _And then Kol disappeared. The suspense filled the room as everyone waited, holding their breaths as to what would be returning with Kol. How far did he have to travel to find her? Was he in trouble? Caroline was wondering if she should try to find him, but she felt the shift in the room. Kol reappeared with the witch, looking crazed. _"Bonnie, get ready; he's following us." _Tyler came into view and immediately glanced behind Bonnie. Caroline had listened to everyone a stood behind Bonnie. All of a sudden, Tyler tried to launch himself at Caroline, but Bonnie braced herself for it, focusing on sending him through herself. Tyler didn't realize his mistake until it was too late to stop. The atmosphere lightened dramatically when Tyler passed through Bonnie into the next realm. The witch looked a little relieved, but then looked around and her nerves came back. _"Now listen Lily, we know what you did to Caroline, and you're going to tell us how to fix it. We know there is an antidote; where is it or how is it made. Tell us and we will let you pass through peacefully, or I will hunt you everywhere you try to go before you pass through the anchor."_

_"I don't know how to make it. Marcel was the one who gave me the spell. I think it belonged to the one he calls Davina. I'm not sure, but he made sure to use me instead of his normal witches. I could travel and he threatened my family. I figured I would die, but I didn't think it would be like it was. I didn't want to hurt the girl. I only explained those things to Tyler because I knew she would hear me and might figure out how to tell someone. When I died, I knew she had her phone on a call and I knew she would get help faster. I will stay and help as long as I can, but I don't know what I can do."_

_"Well, witch, since it was Marcel that gave you the order and the spell, you can go and make contact with Davina. I will send my sister to her to help you out as best as she can. Then I need you to come back and explain what we need to do. Then, we will get a witch to make the antidote. What was the exact spell you used?" _Klaus ordered, as he tried to suppress his anger. Lashing out at the woman would only result in her refusing to help. Hopefully, she would lead the way in finding the antidote. He really didn't want Caroline to be mad at him for invading her memories, but it was looking more like he would have to.

_"I'm not sure. It didn't have a name on it. I think it had been ripped off, and all I know about it is that it makes the person endure astral projection until the body is too far gone to receive it back. The body automatically restricts her access back unless given the antidote."_

_"Do you remember the words you used?" _

_"Not all of them. I was reading it off the paper that I was given. Tyler burnt the paper, right after he left her house."_

_"Well go to Davina and start getting what we need. Come back here when you are finished. I'm going to call Rebecca. Also, tell her that if she doesn't cooperate, drastic measures will be taken." _Lily only nodded before she disappeared. Klaus then remembered what Caroline had talked to him about in his sleep. _"Caroline, I promise it won't be as drastic as I know you are thinking. I remember what you said." _Kol then looked between the two and tried to contain his laughter. When everyone looked at Kol, it was hard to keep from laughing themselves. Apparently, Caroline had said something back to Klaus but nobody could hear her, except Kol, and by then he was laughing too hard to elaborate.

_"Oh Nik, you sure know how to pick them. I thought her head was going to do a 360… and I couldn't even make out what she said."_

_"That sounds like Caroline." _Stephen said looking a bit sad. He missed his friend and wished he could see or hear her.

_"We're going to get her back, mate. Then we can all hear and see her reactions. I know you feel like left out, but you're not. When Caroline was talking to me last night, I realized how close you two are. You see her as a sister, but you're like the brother she never had. She didn't have to tell me that for me to figure it out either. You both try to protect each other. That's what I wanted for my family." _Klaus said as he drifted a little in memory. He knew he didn't do things the right way with his family, but he hadn't seen other options. He was so afraid of losing them that he kept them locked up.

_"Niklaus, we've all tried to protect each other, but we were ineffective because of how we proceeded. I think we've all learned a little bit with this experience. However, I have things I need to do to prepare for the witch's arrival; she will be here soon. Hopefully, Katerina will be able to help with Caroline when her transition is complete. She feels responsible for Caroline's current state."_

_"Brother, Caroline said last night that, if anything, Katerina's request has helped her. If she hadn't asked her to get a hold of you, she wouldn't have had me on the phone when the attack happened, and we could still be trying to figure out what happened to her. And, we wouldn't have known who was behind the attack. We would have been left open for worse things to happen to her, as well as everyone else. I agree with her. When you talk to her, tell her I said she has her freedom as long as she doesn't plot against us again, or anyone here."_

_"I think her plotting days are over, brother, but thank you. I'm sure she will be most appreciative."_

_"So… what do we do now?" _Bonnie asked, trying to put all of the pieces together in her mind. She didn't get an answer before everyone heard the clicking of the keyboard.

**Bonnie Bennett, you listen to me right now. You are going to sit down and relax for a little while. You just had Tyler pass through you, and you are in NO condition to be putting yourself through more stress. Take a damn break and look through a baby book or something. By the way, I already have your baby shower planned out in my head. When we find out if you're having a girl or boy, I will do color patterns, but everything else is already done in my head. You can't fight me on it either. Klaus and Elijah have already offered their help; including Klaus' credit card. He might regret that, but I won't go to crazy. I know you like simple things, but that baby is going to be spoiled rotten. And, like I said, you CAN'T fight me on it.**

_"Caroline, you know we have to get you back for you to throw a baby shower." _Bonnie replied.

**Bonnie, I have faith that everyone will do all they can to make sure that happens. I, on the other hand, have nothing to do besides talk to Kol or plan your baby shower.**

_"I'm not fighting you on this Caroline, so don't think I am. I just think I would be better focused on trying to get you back than planning a baby shower that will be months away."_

_"I don't want to interrupt this moment, but I already have a couple gifts for you two and the little one. Jeremy I remember you liking baseball and I'm giving you my bat collection. They are in a storage unit in Denver still. If you have a boy, you can pass them down. Now, it's not my whole collection, but it is pretty substantial. Enjoy!" _Kol said as he walked out of the room. Everyone left was shocked.

**That was nice of him. Jeremy, he must have actually thought of you as a friend of sorts. Bonnie, you do know if you have a girl, she will always dress the best! AND I would love to see her cheerlead like her mom and me. ****J**

_"I would like that too Care. You know he or she is going to love it's Aunt Caroline."_

**Aw Bonnie I love you so much. Maybe you'll have twins, so there could be a boy and a girl to spoil.**

_"Do you want to kill me, Care? Don't wish twins on me. That's evil right there. I know you will always be there for our future children. I remember the names we picked out for when we had kids. I wish it was still possible for you; you would have been a great mom."_

**Thank you Bonnie, but it's no use thinking about that now. That option died 2 years ago.**

_"I know that Care, but I remember how bad you wanted that. Out of the three of us growing up, I'll be the only one able to have kids. It isn't fair when you didn't ask for this."_

**No one really did, but I don't miss how I was when I was human. I don't think I would have lived this long if I was still human. I would have died that night anyway, remember? Damon only gave me his blood and healed me because Elena asked him to. When Katherine killed me, everything changed. I even remember you hating me for becoming a vampire, but I'm glad that didn't last long. And Stephen, I wouldn't have made it this far without you either. You've saved my life more times than I can count. Stop blaming yourself for every time something happens to me. You can't help the fact that I'm a danger magnet.**

Both Stephen and Bonnie were laughing through tears by then. They didn't want to lose her, and they realized how much of a possibility it was.

_"We can't lose you Caroline. Who is going to make everything better when the world is falling apart around us? You're always there for everybody, and you never thought about yourself. After everything, your humanity still shines as bright as when you were human. You really are the perfect little sister, you know."_

**And you are the perfect older brother Stephen, although we are technically stuck in the same aged bodies. Hell our birthdays are so close we're almost twins ****J**

_"Technically that's true, but I still got over a century on you, so will be the little sister, and I the protective older brother. So, Klaus, be warned… you hurt her and I will kick your ass. Hybrid or not, she isn't getting hurt again."_

_"Consider me warned, but I wouldn't dream of hurting her again. Maybe you and I can convince her that this town isn't safe and all of us can leave when she's back. That includes you two as well, Bonnie, Jeremy. You will be under my protection from now on, but it would be easier to protect you outside of this town. I'm aware that this your home, but Mystic Falls is a beacon for the supernatural world. It's not safe for you here, and Caroline won't leave if you're here."_

_"We'll think about it Klaus. We still don't trust you. I know you mean well by Caroline, but we have to make our own choices too." _Bonnie explained.

**I said I would leave town when I wanted to leave town. I don't want to yet.**

_"Well sweetheart, I'm pretty sure the locals don't want any of the originals in town, and as long as you are here, I will be as well."_

**SERIOUSLY?! You can't just monitor me 24/7. I have things to do. Hell I have school 2 hours away. Is that far enough for you?**

_"Correct me if I'm wrong, love, but haven't you had supernatural problems there too? Why not try a different university that isn't experimenting on the resident vampires?"_

**You DID NOT just go there! I've already paid tuition and I like my classes. Bonnie, are you leaving school with everything going on?**

_"Probably. I do have a baby on the way now and I can't take classes, work, have kids, and be an anchor at the same time. I'm still human, Care. His idea isn't the worst idea. He didn't say to give up school; just find a safer one. I'll probably try to do online classes or something, if I really want to stay in school. There's a lot to think about, and I don't want to focus on that until you're back. If I take classes, I would love to be enrolled in the same place as you. We're great study buddies, and with a baby, I'll need all the help I can get to get through class."_

**Study buddy and babysitter… I can do that. What about Elena? She isn't going to like that idea. You haven't even told her you're pregnant yet. How do you think she's going to react when she finds out you're pregnant with her brother's child and you're debating moving away? Do you really think she'd let her brother go that easy?**

_"I'm a grown man and I will take care of my family as I see fit. Elena may be my sister, but she can't tell me what I'm going to do with my life. If it's safer for Bonnie and our child, we'll leave town without a second thought. I'm surprised you're still here. After EVERYTHING! I've read Elena's diary, and I've talked to everyone; not to mention living through this shit. I know most of what you've been through. It already sickened me that Elena chose Damon, after what he did to you, but then I learned about it. Damon likes to brag when doing hunter training. You're too loyal; it's going to get you killed. You have to get out. And, Stephen, do you even know the full story of what your brother is?"_

**JEREMY SHUT UP NOW! I don't care if he bragged or not, don't repeat it, please! Stephen loves his brother, and all you are going to do is get him killed and Elena going crazy, humanity-less again. Please just STOP!**

_"Fine Caroline, I will keep quiet for now. But, you will tell at least Stephen, so he knows what his brother is, and what my sister chose. Because, guess what… she knows. She still chose him, and she knew everything when she chose. I'm going to get some air… Bonnie will you join me in our room?"_

_"Yea, I think Caroline should talk to Stephen. Klaus, maybe you should go to Elijah. It sounds like it will be hard enough for her to talk about this with you looking over Stephen's shoulder at the computer."_

_"Fine, it's not like I can't ask Jeremy. He was more than willing to spill a moment ago."_

**Jeremy, don't. Please, I let it go a long time ago. Just please leave it in the past. I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine. I grew from it. It taught me several valuable lessons. Just don't. Klaus don't ask him. I don't want you to ever know. You didn't even know me then, so it isn't important.**

_"I won't tell him, but you're wrong about it not being important. No one should ever go through even half of what you have, especially that." _And Jeremy left the room. Bonnie nodded to Stephen and followed. Klaus looked like he wanted to rip someone to shreds, and he definitely didn't want to leave the room.

**Klaus… I need to talk to Stephen alone. But, if he gets too upset, don't let him leave the house. Stephen, I will only tell you if you never tell anyone else. This is my burden to bear, not yours. It wasn't your fault either. You did the best you could to protect me and get me out of it. That was the first time you saved me, so don't explode and kill your brother. He is STILL your brother and you would regret it later. I won't tell you if you don't get me your word. And Klaus… I mean it… don't let him out of this house, or you don't want to know what I will do to you.**

_"I won't let him out, and I already gave you my word that I wouldn't kill if you asked me not to. You asked me not to, but I will find out and I will punish him as his crimes require." _And then Klaus left to find Elijah. He was hoping Kol was with him because it was going to take everything in him to not go back in there and listen in.

**Stephen and Caroline POV**

_"Why do I have to give you my word to not kill my own brother or tell anyone?"_

**Because it's bad and probably the most scared and degraded I ever was since being born.**

_"Do you know how difficult it is to give you my word right now? If it's anything what my mind is thinking right now, I don't think I could keep my word."_

**I don't know what your mind is thinking, but I won't tell you until you give me your word and follow through with it.**

_"Give me a minute to think about this." _He stood up and started pacing. He didn't want to hear about this without her being face to face. This was too much like reading an email or a text. Then the idea hit. _I just thought of something that would help us both. If someone knocks me out, you can enter my mind and tell me to my face, and it would prevent me from going after him for a little while at least."_

**I don't really want to see how you'll look at me after this, but fine. Have Kol come here and let Klaus knock you out. You know he needs to lose some steam right now.**

_"Thanks… serve me up to the hybrid, but fine. KOL! KLAUS! Can you two come down for a minute?"_

_"What?" _They both asked at the same time.

_"Okay, well I need you, Klaus, to knock me out, and Caroline needs Kol to help her get in my mind. I want to hear this face to face, and it will prevent me from breaking my word to Caroline. I will also need to be tied up while I'm out."_

_"So… you really want ME to knock you unconscious? I think you've lost your mind, mate. Alright, I'll do it, and I'll try not to enjoy myself while I do it."_

**Stop being a smartass Klaus!**

_"Oh sweetheart, I'm only being honest. Now, Stephen, are you ready?"_

_"Um, yes."_

THUD THUD. Stephen fell to the floor.

**You could have caught him you know.**

_"I know, but it's really the best way to make sure someone is out cold. Now hurry, I didn't kill him so he won't be asleep long."_

_"Are you ready Caroline?" _Kol asked looking amused.

_"I guess. This is going to be bad. Make sure to keep him asleep until I'm out of his head. I really don't want stuck there."_

_"Will do. Nik, keep him asleep until I say."_

_"Both of you hurry, please." _And then Kol helped Caroline into Stephen's mind. When he had helped her find him, he took his leave. Stephen ran and picked up Caroline into a giant hug. It felt so good to actually see her.

_"You don't know how good it is to actually see you Caroline. I'm getting tired of hearing everything from Kol or reading that damn computer."_

_"Well I'm tired of the computer and having to pass everything through Kol."_

_"So, we don't have a lot of time to do this, so why don't we get started? Are you going to tell me or show me?"_

_"Show you? How would I show you?"_

_"You're in my head. You can control what I see. Or you can just tell me. Either way will for me."_

_"If I show you, you'll have to turn away for some parts. I still want some things private from you, Stephen."_

_"Alright; deal. Just focus on showing your memory to me."_

_"This could take a while. There's a lot."_

_"We have a little while. Klaus hits pretty good."_

_"Okay." _Caroline started focusing on the beginning of her memories of Damon, starting with the first glance. She had been talking to Bonnie about guys and Elena, when she noticed him looking at her. Fast forward to seeing him in the square and walking towards him, only for him to disappear. The next memory _was_ the first time they talked. She showed Stephen what happened after they talked. Damon had taken her to the place he was using as residence while spying on his brother. She grabbed Stephen's hand as the scene played out. Stephen watched in horror as he saw Damon holding her down, drinking her blood, and taking advantage of her. She fast forwarded to the next morning when she was trying to sneak out, but got caught. Slowly, she showed him everything he had said and done to her over the time she was under his control. Stephen didn't want to believe his brother had done those things to her. He didn't know that Damon had been her first, and he hadn't been gentle with her. Hell, he hadn't taken her willingly either. How could she ever be around him after that? Why didn't she ever tell anybody? Did Damon still scare her?

_"Caroline, why didn't you ever tell me about this?"_

_"You saw what he's capable of. I couldn't let you go against him, and he's your brother. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I wouldn't live with myself if he hurt someone because I told anyone."_

_"Are you afraid he would try to kill you?"_

_"You know he would, but I'm not afraid of that. He'd make someone else suffer first and I can't have that be my fault."_

_"It wouldn't be. I won't let him know that I know, and I won't kill him. That is for you, but he is no longer my brother so don't call him that. And since Elena knew about this before getting with Damon, you owe her no loyalty. She didn't think about loyalty to you when making that decision. I'm rooting for you and Klaus now, more than ever."_

_"Stephen, this has nothing to do with him. I will make a decision on my own, so everyone should just let me think on it. I know we're all monsters Stephen, but I don't know if he can stop. He said he wouldn't be plotting or planning anything if I gave him a chance. He said he didn't want to lose me. But here's the thing, Stephen… he hasn't had me to lose; not really. He doesn't know me like he thinks he does. If he knew all of this, and everything else I've been through and done, he wouldn't even look my way anymore. Kol doesn't believe that, but he would. Who wants someone who is always a victim?"_

_"You're not a victim; you're a survivor. There's a big difference. If you let all of this hold you back from what you could be and do, then you're a victim. So far you've pushed yourself to rise above all of this. You've survived the first step. Now you need to move on with your life and live for you. Just consider everything. You know he may have to find out all of this anyway. If we can't find everything we need, we will have to do the memory sharing spell, and it's a possibility that it will be all of your memories."_

_"I hate myself most of the time, Stephen. How will he not hate me if he learns about EVERYTHING! Do you know how many times I thought it would be best if I didn't live through each kidnapping or torture situation? It would make things so much easier for people to not have to go around saving me."_

_"Do you know how many lives would be over if you died?"_

_"Everyone would move on. I would want them to. I would want everyone to be happy."_

_"Everyone is happy with you alive. You have picked us all up when we needed it, and I'm ashamed to say we didn't do it for you enough. You are always alone unless you're helping someone out. You're going to have to let someone be there for you. Klaus is in love with you. He will still be in love with you if he knows everything about you; probably more than he is now."_

_"You just sounded like Kol. That's creepy, Stephen." _Stephen had definitely missed her. She was definitely a curious one; she could go from serious and crying to joking and laughing in 2 seconds. She had never opened up like she had just moments ago, and had never felt guiltier for not being there more. _"You'll probably be waking up soon. I don't want Kol to have to come and drag me out of you head. Are you ready to wake up?"_

_"If I can. Like I said, Klaus can hit really good. I'm going to miss seeing you." _He said as he pulled her into a final hug before she would leave. _"You can talk to me about whatever you need to Caroline. I won't ever complain about it or judge you, you know that. Don't spend all your free time in Klaus' head either; you can come visit me too."_

_"I will definitely take you up on that offer. You don't want to know what almost happened last night."_

_"I can imagine. But, again, just give him a chance to show you he can be what you are looking for. You two are so similar with your doubts and your stubbornness."_

_"Again, stop sounding like originals; it's creepy."_

_"I'm betting Klaus told you that y'all were similar."_

_"Yes, the night he bit me and ran Tyler out of town. We may be similar with some things, but we have a lot of differences. But, I'm going to go and let you wake up. I'll see you later, Stephen." _She gave him one final hug and concentrated on the living room. When she opened her eyes, she saw Kol and Klaus watching Stephen to keep him asleep if needed. _"You can untie him and let him wake up. I talked him out of going after Damon."_

_"Nik, she's back. She says it's okay to untie him and let him wake up."_

_"Very well love, but I still intend to figure all of it out."_

_"Tell him I said he can try all he wants, but unless I let him know he won't, and to stop bringing it up."_

_"Caroline, are you trying to get me killed?" _Kol asked before relaying the message. Klaus had a look that resembled a determined look.

_"Oh sweetheart, you know I love a challenge. You better not tempt me." _He said as he went to go back to Elijah. Stephen started waking up and Kol helped him get his bearings. After Stephen gave his head time to clear, he went straight for the bourbon. He had a lot to think about, and he wanted to talk to Klaus without Caroline knowing about it. He needed to warn him about her past. He knew Klaus wouldn't feel any different about her, but she didn't believe that. If he ever found out, his reaction could devastate her.

_"I'll be back Care, and I will keep my promise and not say anything, but I need to talk to Klaus. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, but I do need to talk to him."_

_"She said okay and you better not say anything. Don't worry Stephen; I will keep her down here." _Kol said and went to turn on the television so they had something to do. This was going to be difficult; he didn't know what she'd make him watch, but he dreaded it.

**Klaus and Stephen POV**

Stephen went upstairs and pulled Klaus away from Elijah and into his room.

_"This better be good, mate. There's a lot to do, little time to do it, and I'm already irritated."_

_"I want to talk to you about Caroline. I promised her I wouldn't tell you what I learned about Damon, and I won't. But… I will tell you why she doesn't want you to know. Not only is she worried about your reaction towards Damon, but she's petrified of your reaction towards her."_

_"Why would she be worried about a reaction towards her? She didn't do anything did she?"_

_"No, she didn't. She doesn't know how you will look at her or feel about her, if you ever knew. She thinks you would hate her, pity her, or be disgusted by her. She said she hated herself for things she's been put through. I never realized how many times she has thought dying was a better option than living."_

_"Whatever it is, I would always look at her the same. And, I know she has thought about dying. After Tyler bit her, and I was invited into her home to save her life, she was ready to die then. I kept thinking… she was so young, and was already ready to die? What had happened to her to make her so ready to give up? Then I started telling her about all of the wonderful things in the world; art, music, cities. Anything to get a reaction out of her. She just stared at me like she had never been told of all the possibilities she had as a vampire. Later on, I found out she had literally never been anywhere, and she threw some truths and a bracelet at me. Truthfully, I think that was when I fell for her. She was an 18 year old baby vampire standing up to me; a thousand year old hybrid that had already terrorized her friends and had her boyfriend bite her. She didn't care that I could kill her before she knew what happened; she stood her ground, spoke her thoughts, and walked away. Eventually, I got to the point where I was almost hoping you all would have another plot to kill me because then she would be the distraction. I didn't care; it let me spend time with her. And yes, I know that it was crazy for me to think like that, but I never claimed to be sane. And, every time she had to spend time with me, I fell harder and I would always do or say something that would make her upset, and I would think I wouldn't ever get to talk to her or see her again. Now, here we are; she's worried that I will not feel the same if I know about her?"_

_"She sees herself as someone who is always a victim, and said nobody likes a victim. I told her she wasn't a victim, and that she is a survivor. She has not only lived, but rose above everything that has come her way. I don't know how much more she can take before she gives up. And, knowing her, she wouldn't flip her switch; she'd end her life. She wants everybody happy if anything happens to her, but doesn't want realize that it would be her death that pulled everyone apart. Do you want to know what's really shocking?"_

_"What could be more shocking than her being ready to die more than wanting to live?"_

_"She doesn't realize it, but she's in love with you too. I don't think she's ever fully been in love before because she doesn't recognize it. She had to work too hard to make things work with Matt and they figured out they were better as friends. Tyler was always using her; first for help with becoming a werewolf, then for support with being a hybrid, and then her loyalty kept her with him when he used her to distract you from your hybrids. Finally, he knew the only way to survive against you was using Caroline. In the end, he didn't care who he hurt in his path to getting revenge on you, and that was mainly her. So you see, she wouldn't really know what she felt because she hasn't really felt it before. She only thinks she has because she's always felt like she isn't good enough for better things. WE know better, but she doesn't; that's what you have to show her."_

_"How am I supposed to show her if this is as strange to me as it is her? She means everything to me, but I don't know how to show it to her."_

_"I think you know how; you just aren't realizing it. When you two are talking, you get lost in each other's stares. I've had to keep myself from interrupting because you were usually in public, and I didn't know if either of you would lunge at each other. I know she wouldn't have initiated anything, but I think it would have taken her a little time to push you away. Her mind would eventually catch up to her and be running a mile at full vamp speed. And then, the guilt would have eaten her alive; she was with Tyler and was one of Elena's best friends. She would have never been able to give in to you before. Now, you have an actual chance to win her over, so don't screw it up. Show her what she means to you and the rest will fall into place."_

_"There were a couple of times, in public, that I had to keep myself from lunging at her, I will admit. I knew she would feel guilty and that's what held me back. I almost lunged at her last night though, when she was in my dream. Kol walked in and interrupted me before I got to her. She could hardly look at me after that and started rambling. Then, I couldn't resist myself; I started distracting her when she was trying to leave. It took her a little longer, but she made it out fairly quick for a beginner."_

_"Do I want to know how you were distracting her?"_

_"Probably not, but I will tell you anyway. I stood behind her, really close with my hands on her shoulders. I made sure to breathe on her neck and ear too. Then I spoke real low right in her ear, teasing her about how long it was taking her."_

_"I bet that was interesting. What are you going to do if she's there tonight?"_

_"Talk to her for one, I'll probably try to show her what some cities look like. What city do you suggest? Paris is too obvious and I would much prefer she see that city in real life for the first time instead of in my head."_

_"Well, you want to keep it small. A big city would be too much for right now, and she would realize there was a reason that you didn't show the people that would be walking the streets. Is there a place that you like that is just for you? She would appreciate that more than any city you could show her."_

_"I think I know the perfect spot. There's a place in Alaska that is quite isolated, but it gives the perfect view of the aurora borealis. She has to love one of nature's greatest sights."_

_"I think she'll love it, but if you make a move on her, don't get upset if she pulls away or avoids you for a bit. That's just how she processes things in her mind; and when she's scared, its worse. She analyzes everything; words, actions, and even stares, so keep yourself in check. Don't give her any sign of doubt, anger, or uneasiness. She'll read you like a book and close herself off."_

_"Thanks mate, remind me that I owe you if this works."_

_"The only thing you'll owe me is keeping her happy."_

_"Well I plan on that anyway, so I will still owe you."_

_"Alright. Well, we better get you back to Elijah. I think the witch showed up a few minutes ago, and it sounds like they've already started._


	2. Chapter 2

**Katherine's Room**

_"Are you sure this will work? I do not want to put her at risk if you are not sure." _Elijah stated.

_"I have no doubt in my mind that this will work for her. It's the blonde vampire I worry for. Without the original spell, I can't even look for the antidote. I will surely have to use the memory spell that she is against." _The witch replied. She gathered everything needed to transfer Katherine into the other body. They were lucky finding the candidate they did, but it didn't make the spell any less tiring. She would need to rest when she was done.

_"She may not like it, but it seems it has become necessary. We have not heard back from our sister and Lily's spirit has not returned. Kol is waiting on this to finish before he goes to check on our sister. It's too risky for him to go to Davina."_

_"I understand, sir. I will do what I can to help you, but I must pace myself. I can do many things, but these heavier spells that a lot out of me and I must regain my strength, but I won't give up."_

_"Thank you again Terri, we will make sure you are compensated heavily for your participation."_

_"I'm not worried about money, but I will take your word in ensuring the survival of my family and descendants. Family means everything, and I'm sure you agree with me on that."_

_"Yes and give my word that your line will continue with the best of my abilities."_

_"Okay, well let's begin. I need you to go tell everyone to not disturb me once I begin. Whoever wishes to be in here has to be in here before I start."_

_"No need Elijah; we were just finishing up our chat. No one else is joining us." _ Klaus said as him and Stephen entered the room.

_"Very well then; please stay still and quiet. The tiniest distraction could have this spell fail us. Elijah, prepare to give the new body your blood. She has already said she would like to be a vampire again. When I begin chanting, I will look at you and nod my head; give the body blood and snap her neck. I will then transfer her over and then she will wake ready to transition again. You will give her the blood bag and she will be a vampire again. With this transfer, the transition should be instant, so we have to move fast once she wakes. We won't have much time to give her blood."_

_"I understand." _ Elijah replied and went to stand next to the new body. The witch began chanting as the candles flames rose and wind picked up around the room. When the witch gave the signal, Elijah bit into his wrist and forced the blood into the new body. When he was sure there was enough blood in her system to turn her, he snapped her neck. He immediately grabbed the blood bag and opened it, waiting on Katherine to wake up to her new self. The witch had been correct about not taking long. It only took about 30 seconds for her to shoot up in the bed where Elijah started giving her blood out of the bag. He breathed in with relief that it had worked and his Katerina was safe again. _"Thank you Terri. It went perfectly."_

_"That's good. I need to rest now, but I need to speak to Klaus first. Time will be running out if we don't act quickly. I'm afraid we will have to transfer the blonde's memories to you. I need the original spell to find the antidote. I can do it tomorrow morning, but I need to rest to the rest of the day and tonight. Use that time to discuss the issue with the girl. I will do my best to limit the transfer to the spell used against her, but I do not know if it will work. You both have to face the possibility of you receiving all of her memories. It will be like a movie of her life, but you will also see it from her perspective. You will hear what she was thinking, feel what she felt, and it could be painful for you."_

_"I'm not worried about the pain. She isn't going to like this. Stephen? I need you to help me talk to her. She isn't going to say yes to just me, and we might have to use Kol or Bonnie too._

**Living Room (Everyone POV but mostly Caroline POV**

_"You aren't going to like the conversation you are about to have. I will stay to relay what you say, but my opinion is to agree. Just remember that." _ Kol said suddenly, while turning the television off.

_"What's going on?"_ Caroline asked.

_"I'll let my brother tell you that." _And then Kol sat down, away from Caroline.

_"Kol, I'm glad you volunteered to relay messages. No offense love, but it's a little difficult for everyone to read the computer at the same time. The witch we sent to Davina hasn't returned, and our sister has not contacted us back. This leads us to believe something has gone wrong. Terri, the witch Elijah called here, has said she will need to do the memory transfer and she needs to do it tomorrow morning. She is certain we will run out of time if we wait any longer. There is another bit of news, and you will like this even less. She will try to limit the transfer to when the spell was being used on you, but she cannot guarantee that I won't receive all of your memories. To top it off, it will be like I actually lived your life."_

_"Nik, if she could faint, I believe she would have passed out halfway through your news. I do believe she's panicking."_

_"Caroline, listen to me. Control your breathing… count if you have to, but stay with us. Now listen, I was there when she told him this and IF he receives all of your memories, it will not turn out like you think it will. It WILL NOT be a bad thing." _ Stephen interjected trying to keep his friend calm. He had no idea if it was working because he couldn't see her and Kol's face gave nothing away.

_"Okay her breathing is normal, but she's just sitting there rocking herself."_

_"Where is she at, Kol?" _ Klaus asked?

_"She's right there on the floor in front of the computer." _ Kol replied pointing at her.

_"If I sit in the floor, can you turn her towards me?"_

_"I can try, but I don't let me know if she'll let me."_

_"Just do it, Kol." _Klaus insisted and Kol placed his brother next to Caroline. Then he turned her towards his brother and placed her hands in his.

_"Okay Nik, you have her hands. If she talks, I'll repeat her. Just say what you have to say."_

_"I know Kol. Caroline? Listen to me, sweetheart. I don't know what you're afraid of me seeing, but I know it won't change anything. Whatever has happened to you is in the past and will not harm you again. I won't go after the ones responsible if it makes you feel better, and I won't judge you for anything. I won't care any less about you than I do now. When I said I would do anything for you and I wouldn't give up, I meant it."_

_"She didn't say anything, but she nodded her head. Caroline, does that mean you'll do it? She nodded again. Elijah, go and let Terri know she better get extra sleep. Nik, call Rebecca and out what the hell is going on in New Orleans before I jump down there and look myself. Stephen, try to get Caroline to talk to you on the computer. Bonnie, Jeremy? You two need to gather supplies for tomorrow's spell and get the room prepared for Terri. If Rebecca doesn't answer my brother, I will look for her. I won't search out Lily, but I will check to make sure Damon and Elena aren't on their way here with a plan of some kind. I'll be right back, Nik, so let me know whether or not I have to make a second trip."_

Everyone set out to finish their tasks. Rebecca didn't answer, but she called back seconds later. She explained that it had been hard doing everything without getting caught. She had compelled some vampires to follow Marcel and send her videos of his activities. Davina only gave up the list of ingredients needed to make the antidote. She didn't tell Rebecca the incantation that was included, but Rebecca wasn't ready to give up yet. Marcel had been looking nervous and was constantly looking at his phone; most likely waiting on word from Tyler that he would never receive. Among other things, one of the videos Rebecca had received had shown some of Marcel's promiscuous acts. She was waiting for permission to kill him herself from her brothers. Marcel had messed with the wrong girl's heart this time. He also didn't think about what would happen if he was found out. So, Rebecca was plotting a way to make him publicly betray his kind. There had to be something to show him working with the werewolves, witches, or Tyler. She just needed to find it. Kol came back and told Stephen to call or do something that would call Damon off of his plans.

_"Kol, I don't want him to do anything to anybody, but he is not my brother any longer. Now, I promised Caroline that I wouldn't say anything or kill him; however, he is making that promise rather difficult for me. How did he find where we were?"_

_"Elena had Elijah's phone number; she must have kept it after she pretended to be Katerina. When he called the Terri, they must of tracked it. If you don't make him stop, he will come here and hurt someone; maybe even kill someone. Elena and that Enzo guy are with him. Do it or we'll have to move everyone in the next 10 minutes. That will be a little difficult, don't you think?"_

_"You're right; this is going to be the most difficult call of my life." _Stephen said as he pulled out his phone. He decided to stay in the room where everyone could hear the conversation. They needed to be ready if Stephen couldn't make him stop.

**On the Phone**

_"Stephen, I was just coming to see you."_

_"No you're not Damon. I told you that were going to be a part of this. Just keep Elena away from here, if you're so worried about her, that is."_

_"I think she can hold her own, and we have a fool proof plan."_

_"Damon, you don't need a plan. They aren't doing anything to anybody. They're helping us."_

_"No Stephen, Klaus is using you to work on Blondie. He probably set the whole thing up to win her over to his side. He knows the effect it will have on Elena if you, Caroline, Bonnie, and her brother side with him."_

_"Damon, listen to me. There's no hidden plot, but if you come over here and start a fight, you will be signing your deaths. And, we will side with them if you start the fight."_

_"Did you ever think that maybe I just want to see my brother, and Elena wants to see hers?"_

_"Then me and Jeremy can meet you at the grill or something. You don't try to attack someone because you want to visit your siblings."_

_"You know Elena is going to want to see Bonnie and Caroline too. You might as well let us come over and invite us in for a while."_

_"Not going to happen Damon. Elijah and Klaus are only in town until Caroline is better. After that they are leaving."_

_"Like they are going to leave Katherine and Caroline behind."_

_"No, they're not. The girls are going willingly, and so am I. I told you when Elena picked you that I would leave town. Well, I'm doing it."_

_"No, you're not going back to your ripper days so you and Blondie can go be bff's down in New Orleans."_

_"Damon, give me the phone. Stephen, listen to me. I'm not going to sit around while Klaus has all of my friends and my brother locked away or the takes them from me. Just come home and we'll figure out a way to get Caroline back; bring Bonnie and Jeremy and come home."_

_"Elena, this decision is not yours. If someone wants to leave this town, they should have the right to choose that for themselves. I've chose and I choose to leave. But, I will see you both before we go. Besides, I need to speak with Damon, so put him back on the phone."_

_"What now baby bro?"_

_"We were able to retrieve the ingredient list to make the antidote to bring Caroline back. If you don't want to be responsible for the death of the only best friend I have left, I need a small vial of your blood; you're her sire and the spell requires the blood of her sire. We already have Tyler and the witch's blood. We have everything on the list, but your blood. Like I said, this has nothing to do with Elena."_

_"Why should I care what happens to Blondie? It's not like she is of any use except being bait, and her luck with that will eventually run out."_

_"I didn't say you had to care about her, but I would think you cared enough about me to help me save my best friend, or cared enough about Elena to anyway."_

_"Fine, meet us at the grill and bring little Gilbert with you. Elena wants to see her brother and so do I."_

_"If Enzo is with you, bring him. I don't want any surprises when I get back here."_

_"Fine, just go to the grill."_

**Everyone POV**

_"I can see where it might be difficult trying to not kill your brother, mate."_

_"Like I said, he is no longer my brother, but I have to act like nothing is wrong so I can get his blood. Afterwards, I wouldn't care if he disappeared or died."_

_"Oh Rippah, you know you couldn't hate your brother forever."_

_"If you receive all of Caroline's memories, you'll know why exactly he isn't my brother. I don't think even YOU would have put her through what he has, whether you knew her or not."_

_"Why are we keeping him alive, again?"_

_"Because Caroline thinks it will hurt me or Elena, and she doesn't want that. I don't care what happens to him, but Elena does. She would also see it as an attack on her. She would flip the switch and be a walking disaster again. None of us want to go chasing after her, trying to fix her, again."_

_"Caroline, your ability to sway the most powerful creatures on the planet is astounding, love. Maybe I should have taken tips from you when plotting against enemies."_

**I don't do anything. I just look the long road and see how it affects the ones involved. Stephen, you can't let one person come in between you and your brother. Elena did that enough, I refuse to be like her.**

_"Care, you're not like her. I didn't even do those things in my ripper days, and I would feed to the point that limbs would detach. All of us may be killers, but we still kept our basic standards. Klaus told us about the allure of darkness, and he was right to an extent. There is an allure, but it didn't lure you in like it does others. It brought you in kicking and screaming when Damon decided to follow me back to town."_

**Stephen, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Go do what you got to do so you can get back. Have Kol follow you so we have a heads up if he's planning something. And, check on Matt. He's been by himself this whole time. I'm afraid for him; and April too. Damon knows I would protect them, which means they would be the first targets.**

_"Alright, I'll be back soon. Come on Jeremy; let's go so we can get back. Kol follow us and be ready to warn them if something goes wrong. Everyone else… STAY HERE. I can't stress that enough." _And then Stephen, Jeremy, and Kol left.

_"Oh Caroline, we need to discuss a few things. Bonnie, would you be so kind as to try to nap for a little while. You need your rest and I need to speak with Caroline. Elijah, make sure Katerina has what she needs. I don't want her giving into the newborn craving while we have humans in the house."_

Nobody said anything and just did as Klaus asked for once. He was a little baffled on why they listened to him, but he guessed it was for Caroline.

_"Okay, love, I want to talk about tomorrow's spell. I wish there was another way to do this, but there's not. Davina won't give us the incantation we need and we have to have enough time to make the spell and antidote. Marcel will figure out where we are soon if Rebecca can't bring him down. I will not leave your side, but I may have to send Elijah and Katerina down there to help her. If so, they will go tomorrow, after the memory spell. Also, I have to be close to your body when I do this. You will still be able to do what you do now, unless you want to join me. All you would have to do is go inside my head again. It would be best, if you did, because I'm going to be experiencing what you have; maybe everything you've experienced. I can already guess that there are some things that I don't want to see, and I know there are things you don't want me to see, so you would be able to talk to me during this."_

**You're right. There are things I don't want you to see, and there are things you won't want to see. Although, since you ARE a guy, I will warn you now… if you get all of my memories, you will not look at me when I'm indisposed and you will not kill anyone that is going to piss you off. OMG, if I'm not scared of what you'll see, I will be embarrassed. I can't believe you will know my thoughts and everything. That is so not fair.**

_"Maybe I'll find out what you actually think of me, sweetheart."_

**You probably won't like some of it. You know you were the bad guy.**

_"Was? So I'm not now?"_

**You know you're not this time. You're not always the bad guy; just sometimes.**

_"Well, thank you, love, I will keep that in mind if I hear something I don't like. In all seriousness though, I did want to know you more. Like the saying goes… be careful what you wish for."_

**I learned a long time ago to not make rash wishes. You may get what you wished, but you could find out you didn't really want it. Or, it could be so crazy that it leaves you confused.**

_"Sometimes you can have what you want right in front of you, but you can't see it; you're blind to it. You have an idea what it is, but until you figure it out, you won't know it."_

**I guess, but what is that supposed to really mean?**

_"There you go being brilliant again, love. You'll figure it out; you always do."_

**Like Elena's sire bond to Damon? You could have just said… hey, Elena is sired to Damon. That would have saved me some time piecing it together.**

_"Ah, but you are adorable when you're critically thinking; I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see your face. It didn't take you long, and you were the first of your group to catch on."_

**Ha ha… thanks. And I am not adorable when I have to think a lot. I'm frustrated and I miss things I'm normally on top of; like matching socks or curling my hair. That just frustrates me more, so you could see why I'm not adorable.**

_"I'm not arguing with you sweetheart. I will keep my opinion of you as adorable when you're thinking, and you are always beautiful; even when you're frustrated."_

**Keep saying that when you get a memory of what I look like when I wake up in the mornings, sheesh. I dread tomorrow for a million reasons.**

_"I'm not going to say anything about you morning appearance. I've been curious as to that particular side of you for a while now."_

**OMG! SERIOUSLY?! Can you not mention that, please? I don't want to know all of the dirty thoughts running through your head.**

_"I'm pretty sure you would enjoy some of the thoughts that run through my head. I can tell you about them, or better yet show you."_

**Just stop talking about that. I'm not comfortable speaking to you about that, and I don't need you to show me.**

_"Very well; I don't want to make you uncomfortable. But, it does give me an idea. I want to show you one of my favorite places to visit. I know you can't physically go there right now, but if you come into my dreams tonight, I will show you there."_

**What's the catch?**

_"No catch. I just wanted to show you something you would enjoy. You need a little boost to be ready for tomorrow, and I know the perfect spot."_

**Fine, but don't try anything funny. Where are you showing me?**

_"That sweetheart is a surprise. Don't worry, you'll love it."_

**Okay. Can you have Bonnie come back down? I want to talk to her for a little while. I have to talk to her about her baby shower and see if they've decided on names.**

_"I doubt they have, love, but I will send her down. I need to speak to Elijah and Katerina about tomorrow anyway. They will have to stay until I'm back awake, but after, I need them to go to our sister."_

**I know, just get Bonnie. I need girl talk time.**

_"Alright; I'm going." _Klaus said as he erased his and Caroline's conversation. Then, he went upstairs and sent Bonnie down before joining his brother with Katerina.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bonnie and Caroline POV**

**BONNIE! I need girl time. Are you feeling ok? Do you need to rest more before we talk?**

_"I'm fine Care; just trying to wake up. I'm going to miss my coffee. Maybe I'll make some tea. I'll be right back; I'm just going to put the kettle on." _Bonnie went into the kitchen and starting her tea prep. She would need all of the help she could get for one of Caroline's talks. Maybe she could convince her to leave town when this was over. The more Bonnie had thought about it, the more sense it made. Her and Jeremy didn't want their child to be at risk, and had talked about letting the originals help them get away. They would still have Caroline and Stephen with them, so it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice. They didn't know what they would do about Elena though; she had changed so much since becoming a vampire. Nobody knew how to handle her anymore, and they couldn't keep dying for her. Elena was a vampire, which meant she could go wherever she wanted to, do what she wanted, and didn't have to keep everyone with her. As the kettle started whistling, Bonnie filled her cup and headed back to Caroline. _"Okay Care, I have my pep in a cup, so get to talking."_

**I'm freaking out! Klaus may get every memory I've ever had. Not only will he get all of my torture sessions, but he will get all of the memories where I'm naked or having sex!**

Bonnie almost spit her tea out with the last of Caroline's sentence. _"Oh my god, Care, I didn't think of that. Maybe he won't get every memory. And, if he does, it's from your eyes, not a bird's eye point of view."_

**Bonnie, how many times have I looked in a mirror when trying on clothes, or when I hit puberty so I could watch my body change, or… OMG! He's going to know what I do when I masturbate! This is NOT good. What do I do?**

_"I don't know Caroline! Are you going to be there when he sees this stuff?"_

**He said I could be if I wanted to. I think that I kind of have to be now. Maybe I can distract him from seeing those kinds of things. OMG Bonnie, I don't know if I can do this. This isn't fair!**

_"None of this is fair, Caroline, but I don't think he's doing this to take advantage of you. Which reminds me… Jeremy and I were talking and we decided to let Klaus and Elijah get us out of town when you are better. We don't want our child put at risk because of this place. We want you to consider Klaus' offer. You don't have to be with him to let him help you. You're going to need help getting out of here and getting set up somewhere new. Let him help you, please. None of us can lose you, Care. This is too close of a call; how many more close calls do you think you have?"_

**I already told Stephen and Klaus that I would consider it. Although, tomorrow's memory transfer could change his mind about wanting to help me.**

_"It wouldn't, but why would you think that?"_

**Come on Bonnie, he's going to see me as someone who should be put out of their misery if he sees my whole life. I don't like myself, so why would he?**

_"Care, you've always looked down on yourself. You're the most insecure person I have ever met, but you can't hold yourself down. You always think you're not good enough to have something, but you are. You used to think you had to work hard to get someone's attention, and that was because you were competing with Elena. When Klaus came along, you were working hard to avoid attention. He saw what has always been there. You've always had a big heart, Care, and it's hurt you more than helped. Maybe you should let it help you now. I've been watching him; every time he talks to you, or when he first got here and only saw your body, I watched him. Klaus isn't drawing you to darkness; you're drawing him to light. He's different with you around him. I'm not saying to be with him to keep him from doing wrong, although that is a plus, I'm saying that I can see that what he says he feels is real."_

**I know what he feels is real. I can tell when someone is lying and he isn't lying about that. It's because his feelings are real that my memories will change his point of view. It will change everything he feels for me. I don't want anyone to look at with pity or see how weak I am. He'll see EVERYTHING!**

_"It won't change anything. I can feel it; I know it will be fine."_

**No, it won't. Hell, he'll probably have this whole conversation in his monologue of my life; not to mention the conversation I had with Stephen. Why is everything so messed up? How did we ever get here?**

_"I don't know, but maybe its fate. I'm not saying you were meant for all of the bad things that happened, but what if you were given them because you could handle them and you were being prepared for something huge?"_

**I don't want to know what could happen to make things harder or worse in my life.**

_"Who said it would be harder or worse? Maybe you had to be prepared for something good? How else would you bring the big bad hybrid to his knees? If you hadn't gone through so much, you would have been petrified of him, and wouldn't have stood up to him. Without catching his attention or interests, how many people would still be alive today?"_

**I don't know Bonnie. It all sounds too weird for me.**

_"Just consider it Caroline. Live through this, and he will do anything to keep you from getting hurt again, IF you let him."_

**I'm not going to consider this just so I don't get hurt again. If I do anything, I want it to be for the right reasons. It wouldn't be real if I didn't, and I won't use him for that.**

_"I know you wouldn't, and I'm not telling you to. I'm telling you to see his side, and what everyone else sees with you two. Now, Stephen and Jeremy will be back soon. Is there anything else we need to talk about before they get back?"_

**Baby stuff… How do you feel about rubber ducks?**

_"Why?"_

**Because I thought that baby rubber ducks could be the theme, and the cake could have a duck wearing a diaper for the topper. It's also really easy to find enough materials to make everything. Oh, I wish you could tell if it was a girl or boy already. Pink diapers on the ducks for a girl, and blue diapers for a boy; wrapping paper colors, and everything else; unless you would rather have purple for a girl, and green for a boy.**

_"Purple and green sound better to me. Maybe Terri can tell me what I'm having after she brings you back."_

**She should be able to tell you. I don't know how much energy she's going to have to use for that though, but finding out about the baby shouldn't take too much.**

_"You're right; but we will worry about that when the time comes." _She stated as Stephen and Jeremy walked back into the house. Kol appeared next the couch and looked irritated. Stephen and Jeremy didn't look very much different than Kol.

_"We got his blood. He didn't want to give it at first, but I talked him into finally." Stephen said._

_"You stabbed him with a bread knife and caught the blood when it ran through the table." Jeremy added. _

_"It worked, didn't it?"_

_"Yes, but now we don't know if he will try something to get back at you."_

_"Well we'll have a heads up for a little while. And Caroline? Matt and April were together at the grill, so I gave them a heads up. Both are still on vervain and are going to be staying together until this is over. We set up another safe house for them. They have everything they need there and I compelled the staff at the grill to give Matt a paid vacation. Neither of them have to leave the house and will be safe."_

**Thank you Stephen.**

_"No problem. Well, I think it's about time for everyone to eat that hasn't already." _Stephen spoke as he went towards the kitchen to prepare something and grab some blood bags. Bonnie and Jeremy went upstairs to wait on dinner and to let Klaus know that the guys were back. Kol just remained on the couch. When Klaus walked in, Kol nodded and left the room. So, Klaus went to sit near the computer.

_"Did you enjoy your talk with Bonnie?"_

**I enjoyed talking with her; I just didn't like how some of the conversation went. You know her and Jeremy are going to let you and Elijah take them away from here?**

_"I figured they would. It's the best option for their child, and they made the decision for themselves."_

**Everyone is telling me to leave this town. You and Stephen are considering kidnapping if I don't, and don't deny it. I don't want to be here if my friends aren't here, but I can't just leave overnight. I have to bury my mother, talk to the school, and pack up an entire house; that's even if I come back. You have all of the ingredients now, but you still don't have the incantation. Even with the memory transfer, there's no guarantee that Terri will find the right spell. You'll know what Lily said, but without the correct counter-spell, it won't work. I think it's up to Rebecca to get the incantation from Davina; maybe even Elijah.**

_"Caroline, we're going to do this. Everything will be fine. Listen, I think you need that pep now. I'm going to go lie down and wait for you to come to me. I've already had blood and I'm not in the mood for human food, so don't scold me for not eating with everyone else. Do you need Kol to help you again?"_

**No, I think I know what I'm doing now. Just go to sleep and I'll see you there.**

_"See you soon, sweetheart." _Klaus smirked and walked upstairs. He would have to focus on controlling his own dream, and still be able to let Caroline join him. This would be a bit of a challenge, but it would be worth it. She might not speak to him after tomorrow so he would show her how he felt tonight. He lay down in the bed and drifted off slowly.

Kol went to tell Caroline that his brother was asleep, but saw her standing at the bottom of the stairs.

_"What's wrong Caroline?"_

_"What's your brother up to?"_

_"He just wants to surprise you with something. It's probably something close to him. What are you worried about?"_

_"Being alone with him again. You saw what almost happened last time. I don't know if he's going to try that again or not."_

_"Do you want him to?"_

_"Why should he when everything changes tomorrow?"_

_"It won't, but if you are not ready for what Nik has undoubtedly planned, you have to tell him to stop or he won't. He's resisted you about as much as he could, but his resistance will start breaking. He may be a thousand year old hybrid, but he's still a man. Keep that in mind when you start freaking out again."_

_"I'll try Kol. Thank you again, for everything. I wish we could bring you back; everyone will miss you when you're gone again, and this time more people will mourn you."_

_"You better get upstairs or he'll wake back up to look for you." _He said with a smile. Caroline turned and blurred to Klaus' room. She took a second to look at him sleeping. What was she going to do? She almost gave in the last time she was in his head. She didn't know what he had planned, but she was pretty sure it would be harder to back away this time. She pushed her thoughts from her head and focused on entering Klaus' dream and finding him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dreamland**

_"Hello sweetheart; I was beginning to think you weren't coming."_

_"Why are we in a big gray room?"_

_"This is just the starting point. I wanted you to be fully surprised with where I'm showing you. Now, close your eyes and focus on staying with me. Don't move. I'm going to have to hold on to you, so don't open your eyes…. We're here. Now, open your eyes."_

_"…. Oh my god! Seriously? You brought me to see the Northern Lights?" _she said as she looked up in awe at the sight above her. She had seen pictures of the lights, but they didn't do the real thing justice.

_"It looks even better when you see it in real life. This is just from one of the times I visited."_

_"How many times have you been there?"_

_"Honestly, I've lost count. I go there sometimes when I want to be alone or I need to think about something important. With everything going on around us, I figured you could use this escape as well."_

_"It's perfect. I can see why it helps you think."_

_"Come, I will set up a spot to lie back and watch the lights."_

_"Where?"_

_"Up there" _he said, pointing to the top of a rock foundation. Then he picked her up bridal style and transported them to the top.

_"Ahhhh! What do you think you're doing?! Are you trying to scare me?"_

_"No sweetheart, I thought you would think it was fun."_

_"I may be a vampire, but I'm not much for heights. So, set everything up because I want to be away from the edge now." _He noticed she really was afraid as she looked over the edge. He focused on setting up a blanket, cushions, and little delicacies that he thought she would like as fast as he could.

_"I didn't know you were afraid of heights sweetheart, but I'll remind you that we're in a dream. You can't get hurt here."_

_"It still looks real. Is that food? How do we eat here?"_

_"Just like you would in any dream really. It won't actually fill you up, but you can still have the sensations from eating it. Now, come on and sit or you can lie back and relax. It's you choice, love."_

_"Okay, but scoot over. You're in the middle of the blanket."_

_"That's because I want to be close to you. Besides, I'm going to be pointing out things for you to see."_

_"Fine." _She grumbled as she sat down next to Klaus. He smirked when he saw her mentally debating with herself. Stephen was right; she analyzes everything. Caroline sitting so close to him reminded him of the night when she distracted him outside the grill. He was still trying to figure out what drew him to her so much. _"So, what do you want to talk about?" _Yes, it was definitely reminding him more about that night.

_"I already told you that once. I want to talk about you." _He said as he placed a string of hair behind her ear. She looked up at the lights again, thinking about what to talk about. He would know enough about her tomorrow, so she decided to turn the tables.

_"You'll probably know everything about me tomorrow. Let's talk about you."_

_"What do you want to know, love?"_

_"What was your horse's name? The one you told me about?"_

_"Odin. You forget, sweetheart, my family was Vikings."_

_"Yea old man. So, what was your favorite century?"_

_"I like how simple things used to be back in my era, but I enjoy the modern advantages. Besides, you're in this century, so I would have to say this is my favorite."_

_"I'm not even going to waste time arguing with you on that answer. What about… what's your favorite movie?"_

_"Of all the questions, love." _He remarked while laughing. _"I don't watch television that often, but when the hybrids were in my house, they would. I saw a few back in the earlier decades of its invention too. The original Dracula was pretty funny to watch. I loved making fun of the guy. So, that would probably be my favorite, since I have to pick. I would love to know yours, though."_

_"You'll know it tomorrow. Today, we're talking about you." _She said as she laughed at his face. Her comment had made his jaw drop. She couldn't stop laughing and fell back trying to calm herself. He took the opportunity to lay on his side next to her. _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you left yourself open for that one."_

_"So you thought it was funny, did you? I wonder what else you'll think is funny? Let's see, I have a ton of embarrassing moments on my siblings, as well as Stephen. No, I can think of something better." _His face was one of amusement, and his hands were really close to her sides. She didn't notice, but he was wondering if she was ticklish. Maybe it would work as an opening for him t get closer. With his plan set, he smirked. _"I think I know what would make you laugh, sweetheart." _She didn't even get time to comprehend the hidden meaning before he lunged on top of her and started tickling her. She was definitely ticklish, and trying her best to get out from under him. He eased up enough to be beside her again, but he didn't stop tickling. She started hitting and pushing at him to stop, but he kept on. When she almost pried his hands off, he quickly grabbed her hands and pressed them down above her head. She was too busy trying to calm her laughing and breathing that she didn't realize they had settled into an awkward position.

When she opened her eyes back up, she saw him gazing down at her. Slowly, he trailed his hands down her arms. One arm rested next to her head, while the other was moving her hair out of her face before resting on her cheek. She realized he had done it again; he had set them up to try again. Was this what she wanted to happen? She didn't feel as scared as the last time, but she worried about what would happen the next day. Should she stop him now though? She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment to think clearly. I t was hard to focus when he was looking at her so intense. Closing her eyes didn't help much; she could feel every part of him pressed against her. It felt good to her; like how it should feel for her. She felt his breath closer to her face and opened her eyes. He was right in front of her. Her breathing picked back up slightly, but she moved her hands to rest on his arm and hand. She didn't want to stop this from happening. She wanted to know what it was like, even if he felt differently the next day. She only wished she was really in her body, instead of in his head. She had already kissed him in Tyler's body, so she didn't know how different it would be with his.

He took his time, judging her reactions. He didn't want to push her too fast or too far. The anticipation was driving them both insane. He thought he would break when she put her hands on him, but he held off. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. When her hand left his and touched his cheek, his resistance broke. He tried to start off slow like he had originally intended, but he couldn't hold back. She met him with as much intensity and he gave when he decided to try to go further. He gently bit her lower lip to express he wanted more. He hadn't got that far before, when he had been in Tyler's body, and how he wished it was in reality now, but he could still feel her. She parted her lips and he delved in. He hadn't lied when he told her she was a glorious kisser. She met him with all of the passion he was giving her.

Where did this man learn to kiss like this? That was all she could as she tried to keep up with him. He had a thousand years of experience with these kinds of things. How can I keep up with him? He doesn't seem to mind or notice, but she couldn't help but feel like she would disappoint him. She didn't realize she had lost a couple tears until he pulled back. He was afraid he hurt her, but she hadn't opened her eyes. He gently wiped her tears and was about to ask what was wrong when she grabbed him and pulled him to her again. Without breaking their kiss, she maneuvered her body enough to flip them over. She kept her body to the side of his until her body demanded more. She crawled over him until she was straddling him. One of his hands made its way to her hair, while the other wrapped around her back, keeping her pressed against him.

When she stopped the kiss and looked at him, his hybrid face was trying to come out. She lifted her hand to run her fingers under his eyes. The lines disappeared and he opened his eyes to look at her. She only saw desire, but he saw the same desire mixed with what he perceived as shyness. He didn't think she could be insecure after what he had just showed her, so he decided to push his luck. He pulled her lips back to his and sat them up with her still in his lap. He moved his arm down her back and reached under the bottom of her shirt, tracing the skin above her jeans. When he gripped her hip, she ground herself against him and let out a sound mixed between a grunt and a moan. He would have to remember this stop for later. When she decided to give herself over to him completely, it wouldn't be in a dream; he wanted everything to be 100% real.

_"We better stop or I won't be able to, love." _She opened her eyes and looked at him for a second. When she looked down, he thought he saw hurt on her face. _"Not like this, love." _She looked back at him, confused and biting her lip. _"When we do this, we will both be in our own bodies and fully conscious. And then, I'm not letting you out of my room until you beg me." _He had placed his hand on her cheek again and was now moving the hair out of her face. He leaned in to place another kiss on her lips before moving on to her cheek and moving towards her neck. She was breathing heavy again, which was driving him crazy, when she pulled him back to her mouth. She was really testing his self-control. So, he pulled her down to lie next to him on the blanket again. Then he broke the kiss to look at her again. She didn't move again, just pressed her face into his chest and kept her eyes closed. _"What are you thinking about, love?"_

_"Different things; what everyone and you have said, how tomorrow Is going to go, and a couple other things."_

_"What's the couple other things?"_

_"Just thoughts; they don't matter. They're little things my brain won't stop coming up with."_

_"Did I hurt you?" _She looked up at him confused. _"You were crying. Did I hurt you?"_

_"No; you didn't hurt me. I was crying because I felt good." _She said as she cuddled into his chest again. Klaus was amazed she was letting him hold her. It wasn't the first time he had held her, but it was the first time she wasn't receiving his blood and passing out on him. She was willingly letting him hold her.

_"You're perfect to me Caroline." _As he said that, she had a hard time fighting the tears that were spilling over. She was sure everything was going to fall apart after he knew everything about her. Maybe it would be better to tell him some of the things now and have a clean break. She just didn't want to ruin this perfect moment with him. _"Caroline? What's wrong?"_

_"I'm not perfect, Klaus, I'm far from it. Do you want to know how I would describe myself? Broken. I don't have that much fight left in me."_

_"Why would you think that? I know some of the things you've been through. When Tyler was still under the sire bond, he would tell me things, and I've learned that Damon did something to you too. I don't know what that is, but you didn't deserve anything I've heard about. I know your father tortured you, I know your teacher tortured you, I made your life hell by controlling Tyler and running him off; what am I missing?"_

_"A lot of things. Do you want me to start at the beginning? I won't go into details, but it started when I was a child."_

_"I want you to be able to tell me things. I want you to trust me with the parts of your life that you're unhappy with or afraid of. I'm not going to run away."_

_"We'll see if that's still true tomorrow. I'll tell you a little bit right now though. You probably should be prepared for what you might see."_

_"Just tell me what you want to tell me."_

_"When I was little, I thought we had the perfect family, but then my Dad left for another man and my Mom started working all the time to keep herself from thinking about him. I was always over at Bonnie or Elena's houses so I wouldn't be alone. When I hit my teenage years, I started lashing out at her, blaming her for Dad leaving, and accusing her of not caring about me because she was gone all of the time. She just ended up working more to avoid my tantrums. Skip forward to when Stephen came to town. I was in competition with Elena over everything. He noticed her right off the bat and I tried to hit on him. He flat out rejected me, so I left it alone. I couldn't figure out why she got everything and I was left with being second best. Damon followed Stephen to town. I didn't know they were vampires; I didn't even know vampires existed until Damon. He compelled me to do whatever he wanted, he would bite me and not heal me so I was constantly wearing something to keep the bites covered, and he let me know every day that he was going to kill me. Stephen slipped vervain in my drink at a party and when Damon tried to drain me dry, the vervain weakened him and Stephen locked him up. My mind is still confused about those days. Later, I got with Matt, but Elena was always coming up in our conversations. We finally started getting things worked out when Tyler and us were in a car accident. It took a few minutes to figure out I was hurt more than they originally thought. It would have been fatal, but Elena asked Damon to give me his blood. He had started getting better after Stephen had locked him up and Elena had been around him, so he agreed. Katherine came into my room before the blood left my system and I thought she was Elena. But then, she told me to pass on a message to Stephen and Damon and smothered me with a pillow. I woke up, stole a blood bag when I figured out I could smell blood and wanted it. After I transitioned, I wanted to get out of there, so I compelled the nurse to let me drink from her and release me from the hospital. I drank from her and left. I had started getting my memories back and figured out how to compel on my own. I saw Damon first; I knocked him all the way down a hallway and passed on Katherine's message. Then I went to the festival, where I accidently fed too much from one of the guys working there and killed him. Damon tried to kill me and Bonnie wanted to, but Stephen said he would help me and begged them to let me live. That's how he became my mentor and me his sober buddy. He wanted me on the animal diet, but I was against hurting the little animals as much as people, so I stuck with blood bags. He taught me what I hadn't already figured out on my own; at least the basics anyway. Fast forward again to where Matt found out what I was. He left me because he didn't want to be with a monster. It hurt, but I moved on. Tyler and I had become friends with me helping him with his transition to werewolf. Damon had killed his Uncle Mason and Tyler thought he had left town. Mason's friend, Jules, came looking for him. They kidnapped me for leverage against Stephen and Damon. They put me in a cage and shot me over and over. They would use a squirt gun with vervain water, and a blow dart gun to shoot wood in me. When I was rescued, Tyler was just staring at me. He left with Jules that night. I thought I wouldn't be friends with him again. But, you started inquiring into the moonstone and Elena. I was the original vampire that was taken for your sacrifice and Tyler was the werewolf. Damon got us out of there, and you used Jenna for the vampire and Jules for the werewolf. Tyler bit Damon and that's why Stephen made the deal with you to save his life. With Stephen gone, I was afraid Damon would actually get to kill me, but he didn't. Tyler stayed in town and things between us grew as we helped each other. But then, you turned into a hybrid right in front of me. He changed so much after that, I almost gave up trying to fight for him, but I couldn't just give up and let all of his progress be destroyed. And I didn't want to lose him again. You tried to talk to me about my father and you know he tortured me, but do you know how? I spent a couple days locked in a cell that had vervain in the vents and a window that would be opened with a lever. My Dad would open it and let me burn over and over again, trying to get me to NOT respond to the smell of blood. Tyler showed his mom what he was and she got a hold of my mom. Tyler and my mom came and got me out of there. My Dad came back to try and help Tyler break his sire bond, but Tyler broke loose and attacked him. Dr. Fell gave him vampire blood to save his life, but the vampire-hating version of Alaric killed him. My father chose to die than to be like me. Hell, my Dad wouldn't have tried to help him if you hadn't told Tyler to bite me."_

_"That's why you looked ready to give up when I offered you my blood."_

_"That's because I was. But, when you were talking, you made everything sound worth the pain to live. I realized I had done nothing yet. I thought I knew life, but I didn't know how to live it. So I let you save me. And, I came to your family's ball and danced with you. Do you know that when I threw that bracelet at you, I thought I wouldn't make it out of the room?"_

_"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it out of the room. I was upset that you called me out on my actions. I couldn't believe a baby vampire was standing up to me. Anyone else would have ran out when I said go, but you held your ground until you said your part."_

_"Oh I afraid, but I was more angry than anything. I don't like people being used; I know what it feels like. Anyway, my next torture session was Alaric at the school. He put a vervain gag around my head and drove pencils through my hands and the desk. Elena hurt him enough to get the pencils out and gag off so I could run and get help. I was about to go back to get her when you grabbed me."_

_"I wasn't going to go until Damon said Alaric had you too."_

_"The next problem was the council shooting me up with vervain and then tying me up with vervain ropes in that van. You saved me again, with me thinking it was Tyler, and I couldn't figure out how he was alive. But, it made sense when you called me love. I never told Tyler, but I figured out soon after that it wasn't him that I said goodbye to that night." _She looked up at him for a moment and went back to staring at the lights.

_"I didn't want to take that moment from you and there was no guarantee that Tyler would have survived the process of switching me back. There is always a risk."_

_"I was still angry for a while, hence I wasn't that nice. Moving on… your advances had put Tyler in a bad mood and we were fighting a lot. He was furious that I kept the picture you drew me."_

_"You kept it? I thought you would have thrown it away."_

_"I kept it. Tyler asked me why and I said I didn't know, but I just couldn't. You drew me beautiful and I wanted to keep it."_

_"You should see my sketchbook then. You're in it everywhere, but it's not the sketches that are beautiful; it's you."_

_"Sure. Moving on. Here comes Haley in all her skankified glory. I should have known that that were lying to me about their affair, but they claimed it was to throw them off their trail with the sire bond. I don't like when people are being used and controlled, so I didn't say anything. When I told him I had to go on a date with you, he threw a glass of whiskey at the wall right next to me. I knew he was upset about his friend dying to save Elena, so I didn't push it. Then your hybrids decided to chain me up at the Winter Wonderland festival and break my wrists. Elena, Stephen, and Tyler got me out before it went too far. I left with Stephen because Elena was chasing after Damon and we didn't want to deal with anymore that night. That was the night I figured out Elena was sired to Damon and Stephen exploded when he found out Elena had slept with Damon. I know he didn't mean to scare me, but he did. He calmed down pretty quick though. After that, I had to deal with you wanting Tyler dead, and Tyler blaming me for everything going wrong. He said that if you weren't obsessed with me and making hybrids, then his mom wouldn't have been killed or the hybrids slaughtered. You know the rest, except for Silas and humanity-less Elena."_

_"What did they do to you?"_

_"Well Elena and I kept fighting and she tried to stake me with a tree branch and tried to kill my mom. Silas appeared as you to me when I was leaving the boarding house for a bit. Everyone was working on Elena and we needed things, so I left to get them. He showed up as you and I believed it at first. When I figured out he wasn't you, he pushed me into a tree and made me believe he staked me in the heart. I passed out, but when I came to, he appeared as Matt. Silas had wanted Bonnie and I asked Matt where Bonnie was, but he revealed himself to be Silas. I ran and almost made it back inside the house when he appeared as you again. He grabbed me and threw me into a wall and I fell down the stairs. When I got up I ran to my car and left for home. I was talking to my mother when Bonnie showed up. Silas had got inside and nearly killed my mom. I had to give her my blood to save her."_

_"How did you figure out Silas wasn't me?"_

_"Well at first he asked me to go to New Orleans; more like begged. That threw me off and I started to walk away, but he asked me what I was afraid of. I said you. It was the only thing I could think of. He said a few things and got right up in my personal space to say I wanted my perfect feathers ruffled. That's what made it really weird because Elena had said that earlier while being tortured. There's no way you would have heard her from outside. What finally made it clear was when I was thrown into the tree. You had already saved me from yourself; you wouldn't have chanced that again without a good reason."_

_"I can't tell you how smart you are."_

_"You should see me in class." _She said laughing.

_"I have, but you didn't know it. I saw you when I was in Alaric's body."_

_"Well that was something I didn't know."_

_"I had been looking for the doppelganger and wanted to follow her. The side effect of being Alaric was being a teacher all day. I saw all you running around trying to come up with ways to beat me. I saw you at the 60's dance with Matt too. Might I just say that you laughing and smiling has always been distracting."_

_"That's about all I'm good for really; hence, all of the torture sessions."_

_ "I didn't mean it like that, but I can see how you'd feel that way. You've not been treasured like you should be. You've been used for your love and loyalty. I'm not running away, love; if anything, I'll fight that much harder."_

_"I won't hold your interests forever."_

_"You don't know that."_

_"You don't know that I will either."_

_"Actually I do; you surprise me every time I see you or talk to you. You always leave me craving more of you. I can't see that ever stopping."_

_"You may not see it now, but you might later. You may end up having to."_

_"You're not going to die, love. I won't allow it." _He said as he lifted her face to look at him. She gave a sad smile before trying to move away, but he didn't let her. He crushed his lips to hers with more passion that before. She didn't fight him; it felt too good kissing him to fight. She would miss this when he left or she died. The thought brought tears to her eyes again. She quickly pushed her thoughts away and focused on kissing him. He pulled back when he heard someone approaching. He noticed her tears and quickly wiped them away, giving her another quick kiss.

_"Nik? It's time to wake up. Terri is ready. You slept all evening and night, but I can see why now. Caroline? Are you ready for my brother to be in your head?_

_"I'm ready. I already told him some things so he would be ready; just in case."_

_"Is that why you've been crying? Your eyes are red and puffy."_

_"Yes Kol, but I'm sure not having blood or food for a couple days has that effect too. After Terri gets the spell, how long do you think it will take to get the counter-spell?"_

_"I don't know for sure, but not long I would think."_

_"Okay. Klaus? After we do the transfer, I'm going to spend some time with Stephen in his head. It's going to take you a while to think about everything."_

_"Caroline, you already told me most of everything and I'm still here. Why are you still afraid I'm going to feel differently?"_

_"I promised Stephen I would spend some time with him. He feels left out and I'm going process how I can look you in the eyes when you SEE everything. Okay? It's not just you I'm scared of seeing everything; I'm going to be there too. I'm going to be living every terrible thing in my life all over again. My life has sucked enough in one round and now I'm going to do it again."_

_"You won't be alone this time sweetheart. I'll be right there the whole time, and I will STILL be there after."_

_"Fine I won't go into Stephen's head, but I'm not coming in yours tonight either. I want to be alone for a little while after all of this."_

_"Does that include me? I can't sleep either. But, I'm also supposed to protect you while you're not in your body." _Kol asked quickly looking very uncomfortable.

_"Kol, you can go into Klaus' or Elijah's head and let me have one night alone. It's what I'm used to and it's how I cope with things."_

_"Okay, I was just asking. I'll leave you two alone now, but you might want to hurry." _And then Kol disappeared leaving Klaus and Caroline.

_"If you change your mind love, you can come up to me. Although, I probably won't sleep without being able to see you. I'll be worried the whole time." _He said as he wrapped his arms around her. He didn't want to let her go, but they had to get this spell done. He only released her enough to pull her in for another kiss before letting her go. _"Go on, I'm right behind you."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Living Room**

Klaus walked down the stairs and joined the others. Caroline followed him and waited for him to lie down next to her body. She watched as the witch tied their hands together and explained how they had to have contact both physically and mentally, since Caroline was going with him. She ordered them to not let go of each other as everything played out. She also apologized because she hadn't been able to tweak the spell to restrict the memories to the use of the spell. Caroline figured that would happen, but was prepared. If she was right, she didn't want to survive in the end. A small part of her was saying she was wrong, but she didn't listen to it. The witch began the spell, and as soon as Klaus was put unconscious, Caroline entered his mind. He immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Soon, everything started; first in bits and pieces from her toddler years and the clearer as she got older. Klaus sat them down as soon as he saw Stephen enter her memories. He knew something awful would be coming soon from Damon. Caroline flinched when she knew what he was about to see, but couldn't say anything. She just watched and felt everything all over again. She knew Klaus could feel it too because he was shaking. She couldn't look at him so she kept herself focused on watching.

**Kol and Elijah POV**

_"Elijah, I need to speak to you about something important, without Nik hearing me. It's nothing bad, but I don't want him to know until after I pass through Bonnie."_

_"What is it brother?"_

_"Not here. Follow me to Nik's room and I will explain." _He instructed as he made his way to the stairs. When they made it into the room and shut the door, Kol turned to his elder brother. _"After I pass on, I want you to retrieve something for our family. There is a grimoire in the Appalachian Mountains that will be useful in the future. I can't tell you what spell I'm talking about, but I can tell you it's on page 34. I can also give you the exact coordinates to retrieve it. Haley had it, but it needs to be protected. Not only is that spell important to our family, but there are other spells that could wreak havoc. Once you acquire the specific spell, destroy the rest of the grimoire. Here, I wrote down the coordinates while I could use my hands. I won't be here much longer, brother, and I need to know that this will be taken care of."_

_"You have my words Kol. How much longer do you have?"_

_"I'm fighting the pull already. It gets stronger all of the time. I'm holding on until Caroline is safely back in her body. If she doesn't live through this, she will need someone to help her on the other side. Our brother would be devastated and she wouldn't need to see what he would do."_

_"I have faith that Miss Forbes will pull through. From what I gather, everyone has always underestimated her ability to survive dire situations."_

_"That's because she's a fighter. She's losing her fight. The longer she is out of her body, the more her spirit will lose its fight. She's already debating giving up versus staying alive. Nik has been what she's held on to. This memory transfer is going to be difficult on her because she's already went through her life once before. She didn't want to do it again, but she did it for Nik. I saw them in his dream, Elijah. She cares for him like he does her, but she doesn't realize it. They're both so afraid of losing each other that their fears are taking over. Nik can hide it a bit better than Caroline can, but it's still there. Everyone has been urging her to give in to her feelings for him and give him a chance, and instructing him on how to break her walls, but it's not enough. They're both so stubborn. He finally kissed her and she cried. What does that tell you, brother?"_

_"That we need to work harder and faster than ever. Miss Forbes must be brought back soon, and our brother must keep his actions in check. The slightest mistake can have the most drastic of consequences."_

_"Correct. I need you to help me. Nik will be sending you to New Orleans with Katerina to help out sister. She intends to expose Marcel for the liar and manipulator that he is, but she will need help. I can give you leads to follow to speed the process up. This needs to end this week; Caroline won't make it the full 2 weeks. Can you handle the execution with Rebecca?"_

_"Yes, I can and I will. This is our family. Caroline and Katerina will one day be family when we get through this; the same as Rebecca will find her hearts other half. Always and forever brother."_

_"I'm going to go see what I can find in New Orleans. Be ready to relay messages to Rebecca and come up with a plan to take Marcel down." _And then Kol disappeared. Elijah decided to check on his other brother while Kol was getting information.

**Living Room**

_"How are they doing?"_ Elijah asked Stephen as he rejoined the group.

_"Terri said it should be any time now. They're just finishing up. He was crying for her in his sleep, so I'm guessing it got pretty bad in there."_

_"I never thought my brother would find something better to fight for while on his quest for power. He doesn't want to rule anymore. All he wants is her; safe, happy, and loved. The emotion my brother shows for Miss Forbes is all I ever wanted for him. I never thought he'd find anyone to bring it out."_

_"Caroline has always been more than she thought she was. No one ever really told her that until Klaus."_

_"If you pardon me for asking, but what do you think of how Miss Forbes feels for Niklaus?"_

_"Ah, you don't know what to look for with her. If you knew her more, you could read her like a book. I think she's guarded and trying to proceed cautiously. She's very insecure, so she can and will use things against herself. After what happened with Damon, I'm not surprised she's moving slow. I would be wary of intimacy too. She uses every negative thing she's been called against herself and she thinks she's not good enough to get the fairy tale romance. She reminds me of your brother when it comes to trust and love."_

_"I can see why you would say that. I'm assuming what happened with Damon was unwillingly?"_

_"You assume correct."_

_"Did he take the situation all of the way with her?"_

_"Come with me, quickly. He's getting ready to wake up and I'm not letting him know I told you." _He told him and walked quickly upstairs and into the attic. He lit some sage to keep the room soundproof. _"Okay. Damon took advantage of her when she was human. She was only 17 and had never been with a guy that way. So, not only did he rape her, he bit her, threw her around, used her to spy on Elena, and threatened to kill her all of the time. He would call her a lot of negative things and he made sure she was always afraid. I didn't know exactly what happened until she showed me in my head. She only showed me the first couple days. It was too much for her to continue. I will probably never know the full extent of the damage he did to her, but your brother now knows. Caroline doesn't want him to be killed because he's like a bargaining chip to get Elena to accept Klaus if she chooses him. Elena knew what Damon had done to Caroline and she still chose him. Elena flaunted her love for Damon in Caroline's face every day and tried to make her feel bad for not liking it."_

_"I thought Elena cared more for her friends than that. Everyone around her has sacrificed so much so she could live and be happy, and then she does something like that? She has lost any respect I has for her and I never had any for Damon. They better never cross me or my family, or they will wish they didn't."_

_"Can I count on you to help me keep the peace and work with Klaus and Caroline? They need each other; they won't be alright until they're fully together. When we get Caroline back in her body, she's going to resist him because he will be able to see her again. They will probably fight like crazy at first or she'll close herself off altogether. If we keep at it, everything will be fine."_

_"I see you point. Let's go back downstairs; I wish to find the counter-spell as quickly as possible. I will have to travel to New Orleans tomorrow to take Marcel down with my sister. Katerina will be traveling with me since no one will recognize her in her new body."_

_"Sounds like a plan. Let's get started." _

As they walked back to the others, they picked up on the sound of Klaus waking up and Kol returning from his trip. Klaus quickly told the witch the entire spell while she wrote it down. Kol walked over to Elijah and gave him the strongest evidence against Marcel. It would definitely be enough to take him down. Then Kol turned to look at Caroline and Klaus. After Klaus repeated the spell to the witch, he laid back down next to Caroline's body. Only when he did that did she move. She got closer to him without touching and watched him look at her. Kol wanted to tell her it would be okay, but he just watched them. Klaus was rubbing her face and had his forehead pressed to hers. He couldn't seem to pull away from her. Caroline was silently crying. She looked confused as she watched him with her body. She thought he would have got up and stormed out of the house, but he just stayed with her. Bonnie and Jeremy left the room first. The scene was too intimate for them to stay. Elijah and Kol nodded to each other and went to Elijah's room to plan more. Stephen placed his hand on Klaus' shoulder before helping Terri to her room.

_"I know you're near sweetheart. You don't have to say anything back; just listen to me. Stop being afraid I'm going to leave you or feel different about you. _ _If anything, I feel for you more than ever. I am still in love with you as I have been. Nothing will ever change that. I know you want to be alone tonight, but I don't want you to be. I won't ask you to come to me, so I'm going to stay right here with you."_

Caroline crossed the distance between them and placed her hand on his face. His eyes closed as they watered. He wanted her back so much. Caroline didn't know what to think. He didn't seem to have changed his mind about her, but he had changed. He seemed more open to showing his emotions to her. She could see he was holding back tears and placed her lips to his forehead before rising up enough to look at him again. She couldn't stop crying, so she just watched him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Terri and Stephen POV**

_"I'm going to need you to gather all of the supplies for me. I'm going to do a reveal spell. When the incantation is revealed, I need you to write down the words. I can only keep it up for a short while, so you need to be quick and accurate. Once I have the incantation, I will rest day and gather my strength for it to work right."_

_"Thank you for doing all of this for us. Most witches hate vampires, so we're lucky to have you."_

_"I don't judge an entire set of people based on the actions of a few. Elijah has given the protection of my family's bloodline as reward. He offered more, but my family is more important than money. He is a good man and I trust him to pull through with his word."_

_"Nothing is stronger than family to Elijah. I'm sure he appreciates the same value in you."_

_"Are you ready?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Start as soon as you see it."_

The reveal spell worked well and lasted longer than expected. The witch looked over the ingredient list to make sure they were given the entire list, as well as made sure the spell revealed was the real one and not a decoy. It was legit. Davina must have been occupied when she did the reveal spell. When Stephen finished writing, he looked back and double-checked every detail to make sure he had everything wrote correctly. He nodded to inform the witch that he was finished. She closed her spell and went about putting everything in one spot for the next day. Then she went to rest, while Stephen left her room. He could place where everyone was, and decided to go talk to Kol and Elijah.

**Elijah's Room**

_"Terri did the reveal spell. Everything is set up for tomorrow. We should have Caroline back then. What else do we need to plan?" _Stephen said as he entered the room.

_"I was supposed to travel to New Orleans today, after the memory transfer, but after hearing your news, I may hold off a day." _Elijah replied.

_"Elijah, Caroline doesn't need to wake back up and go directly there. She has to have her mother's funeral service, and get ready for the move. It will take her all week. Plus, Marcel probably knows what she looks like because of Tyler. It won't be safe for her there until he is gone. Remember me telling you about the grimoire earlier? I need you to go ahead and leave to do that. Take Katerina with you, and be quick about it. Only keep the page I told you about and destroy the rest of it before you proceed further. After you get it, go to New Orleans and help our sister take Marcel down. I told you how to do it. Stephen, you will stay here. You're friends with both Caroline and our brother. They trust you and talk to you. Keep working on bringing them together. You know she will be more difficult when she is back in her body. After she wakes, I have to pass on. I've been fighting the pull of the anchor since I've been here and it gets stronger each passing minute. Elijah, this will be the last time you will see me, but I want you to know that I will watch over all of you if I can. If I'm meant for another life, I will try to be close to you guys. Tell our sister than I will always miss riling her up and calling her strumpet. Mostly, I want to give you my love. I won't have another chance, so take it how you please. I will say goodbye to everyone else before I pass through. Stephen, my sister will probably be very vulnerable after Marcel had been executed, so she will need you too. You break her heart, and I will find a way to come back kand take a bat to you." _Kol instructed carefully/

_"Why do you assume anything is going to happen?"_

_"Because I know my sister and you both were once in love until Nik took it away. If she's around you and vice versa, you will likely fall in love again. If that happens, don't let anything come between you two."_

_"Okay, as strange of a request as that is, I will take your words into consideration."_

_"I think we should all begin with our tasks gentlemen. Kol, I will miss you my brother." _Elijah interjected, fighting the pain of saying good bye to his brother for the final time.

_"Kol? We never got along, but you shouldn't have died. My freaking doppelganger is really stupid. But, you've helped everybody here out since you showed up. I will do my best by your brother, and help protect your family, as well as Stephen, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy. Goodbye Kol… I hope you can find some kind of peace after everything."_

_"So do I Katerina. And, thank you for wanting to help my family. You've actually surprised me. What made you change your mind about us?"_

_"Caroline actually. I've never done anything that would deserve her to help me, but she did. If she can do that… why can't I at least try to be a better person?"_

_"Just don't lose your spunk. You're going to need it."_

_"I never said I was going to be an angel, Kol. I'm just going to do things better." _And then Katherine and Elijah left. They stopped only long enough to say goodbye to each person and that Stephen would explain what they had to do.

**Everyone's POV**

Bonnie and Jeremy had been talking about their unborn child. They had decided to name Stephen the godfather and Caroline the godmother. At least the child would have someone that could possibly live forever to look after it in the event of their deaths. They decided to wait until the baby shower to give them the news. Jeremy was trying to figure out a way for them to leave town without Elena following them. He loved his sister, but she was too much for him to deal with on top of becoming a parent, and he didn't want to tell her yet. And then there was Bonnie. He wanted to do right by her, and he had planned to ask her to marry him after school was over, but now he didn't want to wait that long. Maybe Stephen could help him when they had some free time for ring shopping. He would have to make it special for her too.

Everyone decided to stay to themselves for the rest of the day. The following day would be a tough one, and they needed to be ready. Stephen went into the kitchen and cooked dinner in case anybody got hungry, and then grabbed blood bags for him and Klaus. When he took the bag to Klaus, he reluctantly took the bag. After finishing the bag, he tossed it in the small waste basket next to the bed. He wasn't going to leave Caroline's side.

_"Do you need to talk about anything?" _Stephen asked.

_"I'm just trying to be there for her as much as she will let me right now."_

_"It will be okay. The spell is ready for tomorrow. Terri is resting to gather her strength so we're successful. So, Caroline, did you hear that? You get your body back tomorrow…. Is she in here?"_

_"Yes, she's here. I can feel where she's touching me."_

_"That's good. Listen Caroline, I know you don't want to talk right now, so I'll be quick. I called the moving company to go pack up your house and get it loaded into a truck. When we go, I will drive the truck myself to make sure it gets where we're going safely. Instead of having a stranger go through your clothes, I ordered a few online and I just have to go pick them up. I made sure to get you something for your mother's funeral. I gave them a cover story for you and Dr. Fell has backed me up. Everything was already planned in her will, so all you have to do is pick the day. We can do it the day after tomorrow or the next day, but any longer and we'll have problems. I can do it for you if you want me to, but I will wait until you're back for your answer. I also called your school to tell them your mother passed. It will give you time to square things away with them. Elijah went to go help Rebecca take care of Marcel. He won't be a problem in a day or two. Bonnie and Jeremy are leaving tomorrow to make sure Marcel passes through Bonnie before he can cause any more damage. After Marcel has been taken care of, Rebecca is going to ask about Lily. Hopefully, she will release her if she has her blocked from leaving. This will all be over soon, and then you can begin living life like you should. If you don't want to go to New Orleans, just say the word; we'll all go anywhere. I've been there before and I think you'll like it. Plus, they have a really good college so you could stay in school. I'm sure Klaus will acquire any kind of accommodations you'd like, or you could just stay with him. But, I'm going to go pester Kol for a while and let you two be alone together."_

_"Thanks mate… for taking care of everything for her and talking to her. I'm sure she appreciates all of it."_

_"Well I always wanted a little sister; someone to pick on, but protect all the same. Besides, you and Rebecca make it look so fun." _Stephen said with a small laugh. Klaus gave his trademark smirk and went back to his thoughts. Stephen then went to go find Kol.

**Kol and Stephen POV**

_"I think they are okay for now. Like I said; the real challenge will be when she's back in her body." _Stephen said as he entered Klaus' room. Kol had decided to linger in there since Klaus had taken up residence in the living room.

_"Well then, you better be ready for a bigger workload. I won't be there too long after she comes back. Rebecca can help you with Nik, and Bonnie can help you with Caroline, but this will mostly be on you. Plus, you still have Damon, Elena, and Enzo to worry about. Elena and Damon will hang on to you. Enzo is here because of Damon, so if you can get Damon to leave with him Elena will be less of a problem. She'll go back to the college and find some sap to use until she gets one of you back."_

_"You're right; about all of it. She'll probably run to that Aaron kid. I felt bad for him already, but now I feel worse. Hopefully he won't let her take things too far with him. I don't know and I have too much on my plate to care."_

_"Yea, but I know what will make it easier. Enzo already wants to leave. If you contacted him and told him what would help him get Damon out of town, he would do it."_

_"And what would that be?"_

_"Elena of course."_

_"How do you figure that? He already broke up with her."_

_"Tell her she needs to go back to school because Caroline needs her things from there. Enzo will seize the opportunity and convince Damon to go."_

_"That sounds too easy. It can't work."_

_"It's because it's so easy that it will work. They don't have to know Caroline isn't awake yet. She wouldn't be back before she was anyway, and by then, Damon and Enzo would be gone. He'd probably even call her and tell her that he was already gone. Better yet, tell Damon that if he really wanted away from her, that he would take advantage of the time she was gone to get Caroline's stuff and skip town. But before you let them leave, let my brother compel them to never bother or try to kill my family or any of the rest of you guys. It's the safest option. I know they haven't been taking vervain and it would work."_

_"You're good."_

_"No, I've been dead. It does wonders to a person's ability to plot things. You learn how to predict the opposition's moves and how to find out what you need to."_

_"Well, you're still good at it. I'm going to text Elena what you told me to tell her and when I know she's close to Whitmore, I will call Damon to give him your advice. He'll let me know what he decides. We better go tell your brother what we're doing."_

_"He just heard everything. I swear I can hear him smiling from here." _The laughter they heard from downstairs confirmed what Kol had said. It caused Kol and Stephen to laugh too.

**Living Room (The next morning)**

Nothing much had happened since Stephen had texted Elena. She had arrived at the college late that night and decided to stay the night. Stephen had called Damon as planned and convinced him to leave. They agreed to meet at the grill, but Damon and Enzo didn't plan on Klaus and Jeremy coming with him. Enzo had agreed to be compelled with no problems, but Damon had been furious. Jeremy and Stephen held him still while Klaus compelled him first. Enzo then walked over to Klaus and let him compel him. They only stayed long enough to call Elena and then ditch their phones. Klaus, Stephen, and Jeremy returned to the house to prepare to bring Caroline back. Elena kept calling Stephen and eventually he answered. Of course she had been crying and told him to get Caroline's stuff himself because she was going to look for Damon. He convinced her to just stay at school and finish because everyone was leaving soon and they would just have Caroline's stuff shipped. Elena wouldn't stop blaming Klaus for everything. She claimed everyone abandoned her and that Klaus stole her friends and brother away from her. Stephen didn't listen too much more after he said what was needed, so he hung up. Everyone had gathered in the living room to wait. Bonnie had given Klaus blood bags for when Caroline woke up, and then took Jeremy to the opposite side of the room. She loved her best friend, but Caroline was still a vampire that hadn't fed for a couple days; she didn't want to take any chances. Klaus had got off the bed, but was standing next to where he had lain. Stephen went to stand on the other side, while Terri stood at the foot of the bed. Kol stood next to his brother. The witch instructed Klaus on how to and when to give the antidote to Caroline before beginning.

_"If she starts thrashing, you'll have to hold her down. I have to finish before you can feed her, and it will hurt her. I wish it wouldn't, but it will. Keep her where she is. Caroline, when Klaus gives you the antidote, you'll feel the pull to your body. Don't fight it, or it will hurt more. Get in as fast as you can. Just close your eyes and focus on being back in your body. Let's begin."_

Terri began chanting as the candle flames shot high. When she nodded to Klaus, he fed her the antidote and then went to hold her down on his side, while Stephen copied his position. Kol didn't want to risk getting pulled into Caroline so he stepped back and motioned for Jeremy to hold her legs. Bonnie reluctantly let him go, but knew how these kinds of spells could go. If a witch told a person to hold someone down, they better use everything they have. Sure enough, Caroline started trying to move and screaming. Tears ran down her face as she struggled.

_"It will be over soon sweetheart. Just breathe. We're right here, Caroline. Breathe love; come back to us. Come on; you can do it."_

As the witch neared the end of the ritual, Caroline's screams grew louder. Everyone had begun to lose tears, as well. With one final scream, the candle flames died down and the witch stopped chanting. Caroline hadn't opened her eyes, but she was back. She was trying to calm her breathing when the veins under her eyes began to show. Klaus reached for a blood bag, as Caroline tried to hide her face. She had never liked how she looked with her vampire face out.

_"Caroline sweetheart, you need to feed. Here, please take the blood bag. Uncover your face love, you need this."_

_"Caroline he has a vampire face too. He isn't going to say anything about yours. Now, drink the blood before I bring you a rabbit." _Stephen said to ease her nerves. He had almost forgotten that Klaus hadn't seen her vampire face. He knew she didn't like it and didn't show it if she could help it. She ducked her head under the pillow and reached for the bag. When she began drinking, she felt around beside her for Stephen. When she found him, she slapped him. _"Hey! I was just trying to help. I forgot for a minute. Okay? I didn't say it to embarrass you; I was trying to get blood in you faster. I'm surprised he didn't realize why you were freaking out after yesterday." _When she went to reach for him again, he moved away from the bed.

_"She has a pretty mean slap doesn't she? I've recently learned about it myself. Caroline? It's good that you're back. Bonnie, I hate to ask this, but can you try to avoid me until later. I'm having some difficulty keeping myself from passing through you." _Kol spoke.

_"Oh, I'm sorry Kol. How far do I need to keep away?" _Bonnie asked.

_"Let's try as far as possible in this room. I will stay in the corner and you can take the farthest seat from me."_

_"How long do you think you have?"_

_"Not long."_

_"_Kol_?" _Caroline got his attention before looking up. Her face was back to normal and her eyes were close. They were only a little darker than normal. _"Thank you again; for everything. I meant what I said when I told you that you should be able to stay." _She said before returning to her blood bag.

_"You're welcome and I just want to be able to tell you I told you so, now that I won't feel it if you hit me." _He said and then grinned. She only met his eyes for a second before looking down again.

_"Do you feel better? Do you need anything; maybe more blood?" _Klaus asked. He was more relieved she was back than irritated that she had talked to his brother first.

Caroline looked to Bonnie and Jeremy and took a cautious breath. She was fighting her face from changing and her thirst from controlling her. _"Probably a couple more bags. I'm barely holding control." _She didn't show how much it took foe her to control herself. Klaus reached down and picked up 2 more bags, and then handed them to her. _"Thank you." _She could only look at him for a second. Until she was in control again, so couldn't afford to look at anyone. She drained both bags and concentrated on controlling her body. The veins were trying to come back and she still wanted blood. She began to panic for Bonnie and Jeremy. If she couldn't control herself, she might hurt them. _"Bonnie, Jer? Get out of here. It's not stopping." _Bonnie and Jeremy quickly left the room, but she was still slipping. Stephen went back to her side.

_"Caroline, it's your emotions. You HAVE to calm down. You're in control. You had them leave the room, which means you controlled yourself enough to get them to safety. Now breathe, and focus on calming down."_

_"No no no something's wrong."_

_"Terri? What's happening to her?" _Klaus asked the witch.

_"She went without blood for days and her body was detached from her. There will be an adjustment period, but it won't last long. It will be like being a newborn vampire at first, but she will get her control back in the next couple days."_

_"Why didn't you tell us about this?"_

_"Would you have changed your mind? You wanted her back; all of you. This is the price that the spell requires to work. She has to get used to being her again."_

_"Brother, the longer she was like that, the worse it would have been. She would have begun to fade to where even I couldn't have seen her and she wouldn't have been able to communicate. That's why I relayed messages so often. I tried to get her to save her energy because I knew she would need it. Now it's up to you guys to help her get used to the physical plane again. Stephen, you taught her how to be a vampire once, so you can do it again. Nik, all you can do is keep calm and be there for her. You would bring out too many of her emotions if you tried to help her get used to being a vampire again." _Kol explained as quickly as he could.

_"I can't do that again. I was by myself in the beginning. Stephen, it's worse than the carnival."_

_"Terri, you need to go join Bonnie and Jeremy. The less fresh blood she has around her, the faster she will calm down." _Klaus said as he jumped into action. _"Wait, would compulsion work? Would compelling her to believe she is in control work?"_

_"NOOOO!"_

_"Klaus, compulsion is not control. It seems she wants to do this on her own. She hates compulsion. She only ever uses it herself if she needs to. Compulsion would only give her the illusion that she is under control."_

_"I know that mate, but I don't want her in pain. I was trying to think of anything that could help her."_

_"I know that, but mentioning compulsion is NOT the best way to calm her down."_

_"That was really stupid of me. Caroline, listen to me sweetheart. I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm not going to compel you, I promise. Unless you actually tell me to compel you, I won't do it; ever."_

_"She's calming a little. Caroline? Do you need another blood bag?" _She only shook her head. She didn't want to risk getting high on blood. She really would lose control completely if she went too far. She couldn't talk either. All of her energy was being spent on breathing and trying to filter through her emotions. What scared her ore was flipping her switch. She had almost done it without thinking to get all of her emotions to calm down, but she held on as much as she could. _"Caroline, would you like some whiskey or regular food?" _She nodded her head and Stephen blurred to the kitchen. She flinched when he moved so sudden. Klaus sat back down with her and reached for her. He noticed her breathing pick up and pulled back. He knew it was nothing to do with him so he stayed where he was.

_"Caroline, let my brother help you. Your body will react towards him because of the time you've shared together this week. Caroline, I know what's going on, he will help you."_

_"What's happening to her?"_

_"She's fighting her switch. That's why she pulled back. She's trying to keep everything at a limit." _Kol explained and Klaus reached and pull her into his embrace. She buried her head into his chest and let him rub her back. _"When Stephen comes back with her food, you both need to step out of the room for a minute and let me talk to her when nobody is listening. It will help her and it will help you two help her."_

_"I don't want to leave her."_

_"You will only be in another room. Go eat or shower or something. She's already calmed a little bit, but you two are not helping when you're both panicked for her. I can help with this."_

_"Alright." _He said as Stephen came back into the room and placed a full plate of food, some soda, and a bottle of whiskey next to Caroline. _"Kol needs to speak with her alone. Let's go eat or something. You have 10 minutes Kol." _Klaus said as he stood and walked out of the room with Stephen.

_"Alright Caroline, I know you don't feel like talking so you can move your head. If you can talk back, I will listen, but just save your strength. I know that flipping your switch has never been so tempting, and you're doing a good job fighting it now, but you could be fighting it for little while. Nik and Stephen will be with you the whole time. Even Rebecca, Elijah, and Katerina will be helping you when you leave. Just remember that you are not alone this time. Now, when you finish eating, you'll feel a little better. I want you to get a shower, put on something comfortable, and just lie down. Nik and Stephen will be with you. They may switch out, but one of them will be with you at all times. Neither of them thinks you're weak either. They're panicked because they care for you; not because you're a burden. They only want to be there for you like you are there for everyone you care about. You may get irritated with them while you're getting better, but it will pass. I'm going to talk to them while you're in the shower and let them know what to expect. But, until you're in control, try not to speak. It will help you. When you begin talking again, take it slow. Now, finish your food and I will call Stephen in here to gather everything for your shower. Nik isn't going to like the idea of Stephen seeing some of your clothing, but you've been comfortable with him longer. Nik can help you get up there."_

Caroline nodded, finally looking him in the eyes. She began eating again. Oh how she had missed food. Stephen had brought her favorite snacks, as well as leftover dinner from yesterday. Kol had gone to give Klaus and Stephen directions, and she ate everything before they even made it back in the room. She looked at the whiskey and then took a few drinks to at least curb her craving for blood. It helped, but only a little. She figured she would need a lot until she was better so she placed the bottle down next to her bed. The pain had subsided a little bit, but not completely. She could feel where her body hadn't moved for days. She was stiff all over. She tried to get up and stand, but fell. As she tried to push herself up off the floor, Klaus had come back in and picked her up. He sat her in a sitting position on the bed.

_"Nice and slow love. You've been in the bed for days. Kol, go tell Stephen that it would be best if she had a bath instead of a shower. I don't know how long she can stand on her own, and I don't think she wants us in there helping her stand." Klaus said. _When he finished talking, Caroline shook her head no to indicate she definitely did not want either of them to see her showering.Klaus put an arm around her waist, and helped her move to the stairs. She grabbed a hold of the banister and looked up. She dropped her head and pushed her foot to the first step. It took a lot of energy with just one little step. How was she ever going to get all the way up? She looked up again and held up a finger. _"Do you want me to carry you to the bathroom?" _She debated it for a minute, but decided it would be okay, so she gave a resigned nod. Klaus scooped her up and carried her bridal shower to the door. He walked at a human pace, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed and set her down right outside the door. Stephen opened the door after turning the water off.

_"I put your clothes on the chair right next to the tub, as well as your towel. There's a handrail in the bathtub, but if you need help, just wrap the towel around you and one of us will help you up. I even put a towel on the floor outside the tub so you wouldn't slip if you managed to get out on your own. But, you're really going to love your favorite pajama set. It's all ready for you. What do you want for dinner tonight? I'll make something special; whatever you want." _Stephen gave a genuine smile, trying to cheer his best friend up, pulling at her positive emotions. She gave him a shrug, and moved towards the bathtub. She sat on the empty chair next to the bathtub and waited on them to leave. When Stephen realized she wasn't going to talk, he shut the door and headed towards the kitchen with Klaus following him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Kitchen**

Kol, Klaus, and Stephen were standing in the kitchen getting everything to make Caroline's favorite food. Stephen informed Klaus that Caroline's favorite food was lasagna and homemade garlic cheesy bread, so they decided to make it from scratch. They figured she would enjoy it better when the recipe was homemade. Kol took the opportunity to tell them what he had talked to Caroline about.

_"It will be easier for her to conserve her energy and get better faster if she doesn't talk. She'll start talking again soon, but it was the best solution to keeping her humanity in place."_

_"Liz's funeral is tomorrow. This is only going to get harder. I wish she would let you compel her to at least keep her humanity on, but I know she won't. I feel selfish wanting to take the easy way on this, but I don't know how much more she can take. And Kol, you'll be passing on soon. You've helped her and she'll be mourning you along with her mother."_

_"That's why she isn't going to be talking for a few days; maybe even a couple weeks. She'll shut herself off from everyone to handle the grief and fight the switch. You all can help her; but ultimately, this will be on her to get through. I've done all I can. I'm going to wait on passing on until after the funeral tomorrow. I may have not liked many people, but the dear sheriff was one of the people I respected in this town. She tried her best to keep the peace with everyone, so I never wished her harm."_

_"You should have met her before you guys came to town. Before Caroline became a vampire, she had a strict no-vampire policy. After Caroline became a vampire, she realized that it didn't change who we became, so she became more open-minded about us. Although, it didn't help you guys' case when Klaus had Tyler bite Caroline. I remember her telling me you wanted her support, but you never collected on it. Why did you ask for her support if you weren't going to use it?"_

_"In a way I did. It was kind of a treaty to be able to stay in town. However, I thought I would have had to use it to keep my family safe, but I didn't ever force it. By the time I probably should have, Caroline had already caught my attention and I was trying to not push her mother too much."_

_"Well killing Carol wasn't a good way to be in her good graces. They were friends all of their lives."_

_"To get back at Tyler, I had to use someone that meant something to him. It was her or Caroline so you can see why it was Carol. I even explained that to Liz when she asked me about it."_

_"I didn't know you talked to her about it."_

_"Yes, I did. She came to me and asked me why I killed her. I explained the whole situation and out of the two, she thanked me for not killing her daughter, but said that she would take action if I killed anymore town officials."_

_"Caroline got her traits from her mother. She's never been afraid to stand up; even if it meant endangering her own life."_

_"I admire all of her traits, but I wish she would be more careful with her welfare. Why didn't you teach her how to protect herself like You, Damon, and Alaric did for Elena?"_

_"I don't know. I'm ashamed that I didn't, but I figured she would have asked me if she wanted to be taught."_

_"I just received every memory of hers yesterday. Did you know that she had wished for you to help her learn to fight better, but she didn't want to bother you while you were helping Elena? From her point of view, she feels she isn't as important as Elena and that unless you offered to help her, she wouldn't have asked."_

_"Why would she think she wasn't as important as Elena? I know we spent a lot of time trying to help Elena, but I thought she was fine."_

_"Elena has had help every step of the way. Caroline has been alone more times than not. You don't know of all of the times she has spent home crying over being hurt over and over. She always said she was fine; even when she was in pain. She has spent so much time getting herself through difficult situations that she thinks she has to be alone to cope with things."_

_"And now she has relived all of that. That's why Kol told her to not talk? He's giving her what she thinks she needs, while she still has others around her."_

_"That's why I'm not leaving her side unless she's in the bathroom. That's the only alone time she needs right now. I don't care how long it takes or what I have to do to make her see she's not alone anymore; I'll do it. She isn't going to be very receptive of my help because she thinks I feel differently about her since I have her memories. I've told her I don't, but she was still out of her body. I'm going to have to show her repeatedly, most likely, before she believes me. But, I can be patient for her to understand that. I would appreciate it if you would help me out with this. You're close to her, and even though I wish differently, she trusts you more than me."_

_"I don't think she trusts me more; I've just known her longer. I think she trusts you just as much as me, but her feelings toward you will make her more wary of you. Everyone she has ever trusted her heart with has pushed her away or betrayed her. Damon used her and she never cared for him like that, Matt pushed her away because she couldn't handle being a vampire, and you've seen what Tyler has done to her. It will be hard for her to open back up to you, but she will get there. It will just take a little while for her to see you aren't going to hurt her."_

_"I already have hurt her. She felt the same pain as she does now, the night I bit her."_

_"But, you gained her trust back. Trust me when I tell you that she doesn't give it lightly. As long as you don't hurt her again, she'll see how hard you're trying. Show her that you'll fight for her."_

_"I'll always fight for her."_

_"Then everything will work out."_

_"Yea Nik, just show her you care like you already have. I'm not saying take her to places like in your dream, but spend time with her like that. Talk to her, do special little things for her. She'll see that nothing has changed for you and her, and when that happens, she'll become more like her normal self." _Kol finally butted in. He had been watching the conversation, seeing if they could figure out what to do on their own. He hated to tell them now, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to later; he wouldn't make it until after the funeral. He would have to leave that night at the latest.

_"What's wrong brother? You look different."_

_"I don't think I'm going to be able to hold off the pull any longer than tonight. It's easier when I'm further away from Bonnie, but I can't be seen anywhere but around her. I'm going to go make sure everything is moving along with Elijah and Rebecca to make it easier, but when I return later tonight, I will have to pass through. I'll also make sure Damon, Elena, and Enzo are doing what we wanted them to do. Everything needs to be ready and safe for tomorrow night. You'll need to leave then. Don't drive; just take the jet you have in Richmond. Call ahead and make sure it's ready. Everything in the moving truck can be driven down later. If necessary, Bonnie and Jeremy can drive it down for you. It would keep them from being in an enclosed space with Caroline for a couple days. Just load them up with money or a card, and let them grab their stuff too. I'll be back later to tell you how everything is and to say goodbye." _He said quickly and disappeared.

_"I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to my brother again. I just got him back and I have to say goodbye to him all over again. Plus, Caroline has grown close to him and it's going to bring her down more. I don't know how she's going to get through her mother's funeral tomorrow."_

_"You'll both get through this in time. I'll be there to help both of you, and we'll be with your family after tomorrow. Kol sent Elijah on a secret mission before he went to New Orleans. He had to retrieve a specific spell and destroy the rest of the grimoire that it came from. I don't know what the spell is because Kol couldn't say, but he did say it was important for your family. He also kind of told me to help your sister and he told me he would find a way to hurt me if I hurt her. I didn't understand what he meant, but he explained that we had history that could come into play when I get down there. I don't think anything will happen, but if something does, I don't intend to hurt her. I'm not ready for a relationship anytime soon, and I don't know if she should be in one anytime soon either. I can be her friend, but that's as far as I would be comfortable with right now. Do you think you could explain that to her for me?"_

_"I do regret ever separating the two of you. You may not be the Rippah now, but she likes this version of you too. The only thing she didn't like was your love for Elena. With that gone, she'll probably hang on you every moment that she can. That could be a good thing because then she would be more likely to help us with Caroline. It would give Caroline a female friend that she didn't want to eat to hang around with until she could be around Bonnie again."_

_"Good thinking, although Rebecca and Caroline can't stand each other."_

_"That's because they're a lot alike. That and Rebecca was upset because I kept pursuing Caroline. I'm the brother who has always spent the most time with her and putting attention on Caroline sort of made Rebecca feel like she wouldn't have me in her life like before. Rebecca took that as a challenge to push Caroline out of our lives. She thought she was looking out for me, but I didn't relent. I think they would be great friends if they would stop trying to outdo each other."_

_"Caroline worked hard to get what she had. When Rebecca came in, she kept trying to take everything away from her. Caroline has competed with Elena her whole life; she wasn't about to let Rebecca make her compete for the same things she had already had with Elena."_

_"I will be sure to speak with my sister in regards of her behavior towards Caroline. I won't have her making Caroline more uncomfortable than she already is and will be."_

_"Thank you Klaus. I think Caroline will soon find out how much she can shine when she gets away from here."_

_"I do believe you're right. But, I think she has spent enough time in the bathroom. I'm going to go see if she's done or needs help."_

**Bathroom**

Okay, I can do this. I refuse to let them see me in a towel. I just have to be practical about this. Caroline had pulled herself up slowly and maneuvered herself to the empty chair, grabbing the towel on her way. She decided it would be best to begin dressing her upper body before her lower half. She would have to stand up to pull her pants and underwear on. She dressed her upper half fairly quick, and then adjusted her pants and underwear as far up her thighs as she could. She used the tub as leverage to push herself up with both hands. When she was stable enough, she reached with one hand to pull the rest of her clothes on. She then saw the bag with her clothes in it and reached for it. She put on her deodorant and found a new toothbrush. She didn't really want to use the bathtub faucet to brush her teeth, but the sink would be more difficult to get to and use. So, she reluctantly brushed her teeth with the bathtub faucet. Afterwards, she brushed her hair and decided to let it air dry. She felt better from her bath, but she still didn't feel like putting up the effort to blow dry her hair. Then came the waiting game; she didn't think about how she would get out of there without help, or how to call them without talking. Her phone wasn't in her bag and someone had removed it from her previous clothing, so she just sat there for a minute. She was getting impatient and she could smell dinner cooking in the kitchen. She knew Stephen had spilled the beans about her favorite dinner. So, she slowly pushed herself up and braced herself on the wall. She was determined to at least leave the bathroom. When she made it out of the bathroom, she sat down at the top of the stairs, far enough from the edge so she wouldn't fall. Then she heard someone coming and looked up from the floor.

_"What are you doing in the floor? Please tell me you weren't going to try to get all of the way downstairs by yourself." _Caroline only shook her head to let him know she wasn't that crazy. All she wanted was to get out of the bathroom by herself. She knew the stairs were not doable right away. _"Alright love. When we get to the bottom, you can go back to bed, or come in the kitchen with me and Stephen. If you don't want to talk, just point and I will take you where you want to go." _She nodded and at the bottom of the stairs, she pointed to the kitchen. Klaus was relieved that she actually wanted to be around them instead of being alone.

**Kitchen**

Klaus placed Caroline in one of the barstools at the kitchen island while they waited for the food to finish cooking. Stephen fixed all 3 of them a glass of whiskey while they were waiting, and offered a blood bag to Caroline so she wouldn't attack Bonnie, Jeremy, or Terri when dinner was done. He wanted her to get used to everybody eating together, and it would be practice for Liz's funeral. He figured there would be a lot of people at the sheriff's funeral, so they would have to stay close to her. If she had to leave, they would say that she was grieving and needed to do so in private. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, but they needed a plan in case it did. When Stephen went to prepare the salad, Caroline jerked her head towards the bowl.

_"Do you want to make the salad, Caroline?" _She nodded and he placed everything around her to make it easier. She began dicing tomatoes and slicing the onions. Stephen had been a little wary of letting her loose with a knife, but she looked like it was helping her. She dumped the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions into the bowl. She looked around the island, trying to find more ingredients, but no one knew what she was looking for. _"What are you looking for Caroline?" _She started getting agitated and furrowed her eyebrows. Did Stephen not understand that salads generally had more ingredients? She was going to have to talk. She didn't know any other way to say the rest of the ingredients. But before she could say anything Klaus interrupted.

_"You want more ingredients?" _She nodded and let out a breath. _"Okay I'll name a few and you can nod or shake. Alright?" _She nodded again. _"Cucumber?" _Nod. _"Umm… I know you're going to want spices and croutons. I remember that from your memories. Let me focus a second. Mushrooms! That's it isn't it." _She looked at him relieved and nodded again. _"Anything else I'm forgetting?" _She shook her head no and waited for the supplies. Stephen gave her the mushrooms and cucumber, while Klaus retrieved the spices she liked. She immediately went back to her task while Stephen went to pull the lasagna out of the oven. Klaus put a dishtowel down on the dining room table so Stephen could put the lasagna down. Klaus got out of his way and put the garlic bread in the oven. Stephen knew when it would be time to take it out to put the cheese on top of it, so he back to watching Caroline make the salad. He thought doing stuff in the kitchen was a good distraction for her, so he would have to call Elijah and make sure the kitchen was stocked for when they arrived. She would probably want to spend a lot of time in there. She finished tossing the salad and tried to get up, but she was wobbly. Klaus put his hand on her arm and grabbed the bowl with the other hand. He nodded to her to let her know it was okay and went to place the bowl on the dining room table.

_"Caroline, I have some playing cards if you want to play with them while the bread is getting finished up." _Stephen offered. She nodded her head and cleared the area in front of her. He went to his room and retrieved the pack of cards before returning and handing them to her. _"Do you want us to play with you or are you going to play solitaire?" _She pointed to herself and then began setting up the cards to play solitaire. Stephen went to stand by the stove and Klaus sat down to watch her play. He had seen her play in her memories and knew she was great at it, but watching her live was entirely different. She was fast and efficient. She won every game without stopping or slowing down. She managed to play almost 20 times in the 17 minutes it took for the garlic bread to finish.

_"You're excellent at that sweetheart. I'd love to know how you do with poker."_

_"She beats everyone at it. She doesn't even need a poker face; she acts like she's losing and everyone around her falls for it."_

_"Oh sweetheart, you're going to have to let me play with you. If you beat me, you'll have bragging rights. Stephen can tell you how hard it is to beat me."_

_"He isn't lying. You both bury me alive. I want to see you two face off, but right now dinner is done."_

_"Oh come on mate, live a little. I want to play one round with her. Why don't you join us?"_

_"Fine, but I'm warning you. I think she'll beat you, so don't take it easy on her."_

_"I wouldn't dream of it. Caroline, do you accept the challenge?" _He smirked and she squint her eyes at him, but nodded. Stephen took the cards and shuffled. He knew he would definitely lose against those two, but it would still be fun to watch them play. He dealt the cards out, as Bonnie, Jeremy, and Terri entered the room. When they saw what was taking place they knew what to expect. Bonnie and Jeremy were wondering if Caroline would still remain victorious against Klaus or if she had finally met her match at the game. Terri placed her bet on Stephen so someone would and Bonnie placed her bet on Klaus, but Jeremy placed his bet on Caroline. When everyone had finished switching out the cards they didn't want and were ready to show, Klaus held up a finger to make his own bet. _"Well sweetheart, now that we're ready to show, how about a little wager. If I win, you let me be the one to watch you tonight. If you win, you get to pick on your own."_

_"Hey, what if I win?"_

_"Not likely mate."_

_"I might as well fold."_

_"No; let's keep it interesting. What do you want if you win?"_

_"You can do the dishes from dinner."_

_"Sounds fair mate. Alright, let's show our cards."_

Stephen showed first, but he only had a pair of 6's. Klaus revealed his smirking and thinking he had won with 3kings and 2 aces, but Caroline just shook her head. She placed her cards down where everyone could see. She had a royal flush of hearts. She didn't even make a face, but she met Klaus' eyes. The look of shock on his face was too priceless to pass up.

_"And Caroline wins again. Looks like your luck with cards extends to originals." _Stephen said trying not to laugh.

_"Well love, you win the bet. What shall it be?" _he asked looking a little nervous. He didn't want her to push him away tonight. His brother would be leaving later and they would both be upset. Looking at her, she only shrugged her shoulders. _"You want to pick later?" _When she nodded, he nodded back and went to help her move to the table. Everyone followed after and Jeremy decided to serve the food since Stephen had done most of the cooking. Caroline had to hold her breath when Jeremy served her, but other than that, dinner went without a hitch. Nobody really spoke except to give instructions on what to do after Liz's funeral. Neither Klaus nor Stephen wanted to discuss that Kol would be leaving soon. They wanted Caroline to have a peaceful dinner before breaking that news. She didn't get to finish her dinner before a round of pain from her settling back in her body occurred. She was getting ready to take a bite when she dropped her fork and braced against the table.

_"Caroline, your body is just settling from having your spirit put back in. It'll pass; just brace through it." _Terri explained to her.

_"I've got you love." _Klaus said as he wrapped his arms around her. Stephen helped him move her to the floor so she wouldn't break the table and then grabbed her hands.

_"Squeeze my hands if you need to Care. It'll be okay. Terri, how long is this going to last?" _Stephen said to Caroline and asked Terri.

_"These episodes will last a couple minutes, but the more time passes they will occur less. It should stop in a couple days." _Terri replied.

_"Is there anything you can do to at least dull her pain?"_

_"Not without risking the spell backfiring. I don't think you want to chance her being out of her body again."_

_"No, we don't. Caroline, just breathe and squeeze." _Stephen said as he looked back to her. She had been squeezing, but he could tell she was holding back. The tears were running down her face as the pain grew. Klaus could barely hold on to her without hurting her. That was when everyone heard a very loud snap and Stephen grunt. Caroline had lost control of how hard she was squeezing and broke both of Stephen's hands. She had immediately released him and grabbed her legs to pull them to her chest. The closer she got to the episode ending, the more the pain grew and she could barely breathe. She was squeezing her legs so tightly, she manage to break one of them before she passed out.

_"Please tell me that it won't be as painful as that every time for her?" _Klaus asked Terri.

_"No, the episodes will be less painful. She won't have many of them either."_

_"That's good news. How long do you think she'll be out?"_

_"Not long, but I'd say you move her to her bed. She probably won't have an appetite after that."_

_"Stephen, go fix your hands; I'll take her to bed."_

_"This is going to be fun." _Was all Stephen replied before heading out of the room to go upstairs.

_"I'll handle the dishes when we're done. Stephen cooked and had his hands broke, you've got Caroline, I don't want Bonnie to do much, and Terri is still regaining her strength. I'll even pick up around the house too." _Jeremy told Klaus as he went to help him get up with Caroline.

_"Thank you." _Klaus replied before carrying Caroline to her bed. He laid her down and covered her up before stretching out next to her and watching her. He wanted to go in her head and see if she was alright, but decided not to unless she had a nightmare. That was one more thing Klaus had learned in the memory transfer; Caroline was prone to nightmares from all of her experiences. With everything that had happened to her recently, it was very likely that she would have one.

Jeremy, Bonnie, and Terri were finishing dinner when Stephen came back into the kitchen. When Stephen reached to pick up the dishes, Jeremy stopped him and repeated what he had told Klaus, so Stephen decided to take advantage of the opportunity and get a shower. Jeremy gathered up all of the dishes and set to washing them, while Terri and Bonnie walked up to Bonnie and Jeremy's room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Bonnie and Terri POV**

_"Terri, I was wondering if you would mind doing me a favor?"_

_"If I can. What is it you need?"_

_"I was wondering if you could tell me what the gender of my baby was. Caroline seems to do better with distractions, and she has already planned the baby shower. The only thing she needs to know now is the gender for color patterns. I don't know when you are leaving us, so I wanted to ask you before you left."_

_"I'm not leaving until you guys leave for New Orleans tomorrow. I also gathered some herbs that will help you throughout your pregnancy and during labor. When you go to New Orleans, you will be able to replace what you go through very easily, so I didn't gather much. When did you want me to find out?"_

_"Just whenever you feel up to it. I don't want you to exert yourself."_

_"I can do it now, if you'd like."_

_"That would be wonderful; and thank you again for everything you've done. I'm still adjusting to being back and becoming the anchor."_

_"Its fine, child. Now, hold still and be quiet so I can see the child." _Terri instructed. She took Bonnie's hands in hers and closed her eyes. _"Well I have some surprising news. It seems your friend Caroline got her wish. You're having twins; a girl and a boy."_

_"Oh my god; if I didn't love her so much I would strangle her right now."_

_"When are you going to tell everybody?"_

_"I guess I'm going to wait until after the funeral tomorrow. Caroline will need some good news to keep her hopeful. Kol will be leaving too, so everyone is going to be gloomy."_

_"Well, I'm going to my room to rest. The last few days have been crazy and it will take me forever to be back to my full self. I wish you luck Bonnie Bennett. I will see you tomorrow."_

_"See you tomorrow, and I wish you luck too."_

**Klaus and Caroline POV**

Klaus had remained watching her waiting for her to wake up. She started shifting in her sleep and her eyebrows furrowed. Klaus knew she was beginning to have a nightmare, so he put himself into her dream. When he saw her reliving the memory of finding her mother, Klaus shifted her dream to the night he showed her the aurora borealis. She looked around and saw Klaus standing behind her.

_"I was dreaming?"_

_"Yes. I figured you wouldn't be too mad at me if I stopped your nightmare."_

_"I'm not mad. I just didn't expect you."_

_"Do you want me to disappear? I can keep you from having a nightmare without you seeing me."_

_"No. You're fine. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now."_

_"Well, for starters sweetheart, you can sit down and watch the lights to relax. We can talk or just sit there."_

_"I didn't mean that."_

_"I know love, but it's the first step. Let's just sit down and we can talk about it all."_

_"Okay." _She replied as she made her way to the blanket and sat. Klaus chose to sit behind her and play with her hair. He normally wouldn't be caught dead playing with someone's hair, but he had used to do it for his sister when they were human. It had always helped her and he figured Caroline would like it.

_"That feels good."_

_"I'm glad I could help."_

_"I never pictured you playing with someone's hair."_

_"Normally I don't. However, I used to play with Rebecca's hair when we were human and she felt bad. It made her feel better, so I thought it would help you."_

_"It does. My head feels better."_

_"Just wait until I start rubbing your back."_

_"You're going to give me a back rub?"_

_"I'd give you a full body massage if I thought you'd let me get away with it."_

_"I'm not so sure about that."_

_"I didn't think you would" _he said laughing. She smiled a little at that and relaxed her shoulders. _"So what do you want_ _to figure out while we're here and you feel like talking?"_

_"What time is my mother's funeral?"_

_"It starts at noon. We figured the less time you spent around a crowd, the better you would feel, so it will only be a short ceremony. Stephen and Bonnie are going to speak for you, so you don't have to worry about anything but saying goodbye. It should only last an hour."_

_"How long after are we leaving?"_

_"Directly after. You, me, and Stephen will be flying down from Richmond. We'll stay there until we know for sure Marcel has been taken care of. Bonnie and Jeremy are going to travel down in the moving truck. They have to stop off at their houses and get their stuff first. We've already had people paid to pack everything up for them and they're waiting on word to load it up. Neither Bonnie nor Jeremy will have to lift a finger to pack up the truck."_

_"Why aren't they flying with us?"_

_"Stephen and I thought it would be best if they drove to make your cravings easier. Plus, do you really trust movers with your stuff?"_

_"I would rather they flew with us. Anything could happen on the road to them. Just have some movers drive everything down."_

_"Alright sweetheart. I'll call them in the morning and get everything set up. What else do you want to know?"_

_"Two things. I want to say goodbye to Matt and April before we go. And, where's Kol? I haven't seen him for a while. He didn't leave already did he?"_

_"Kol is spying right now. He hasn't passed through yet, so you haven't missed the chance to say goodbye to him. And, you can say goodbye to Matt and April before we leave. I don't know how close you can get to them without losing control, so you might have to keep a distance."_

_"How do I say goodbye if I can't talk?"_

_"Write out a letter and hand it to them. Or, you could tell me what to tell them and I will."_

_"I'll just write them a letter. It'll be easier than trying to remember everything. I wish there was a way to bring your brother back. You and your family shouldn't have to lose him again."_

_"I wish that too sweetheart, but there's nothing we can do about it."_

_""Why can I talk here and it not hurt, but when it hurts to talk when I'm awake?"_

_"I'm not for sure sweetheart. It could be because you spent the last few days in this form, or because you're dreaming; so you're not actually using your muscles."_

_"I'm sorry you've had to go through all this trouble with me."_

_"You're worth it."_

_"What makes you say that?" _She said as she turned around towards him. "_I was never worth it before. You saw that when you saw my memories. So why is everyone worried about me now?"_

_"You're friends are idiots, but they care about you. Not to mention, but I've been trying to show you for the past year that you're worth something to me. I may have slipped up a few times and it hurt you, but I still tried for you. I will always work for you because I care about you. You believed me somewhat the other night. You may have doubted that my feelings would remain, but they did. I still feel the same; better yet, I feel more. I wish there was a way for you to see how you've made me feel since I met you."_

_"Like the memory transfer did for you?"_

_"Kind of. I don't think you want a thousand years of memories to sort through. It might be a bit much for you in your current state."_

_"Do you think you could find a witch that has the ability to limit what I would see?"_

_"Maybe when we get to New Orleans, but even if we did, I would wait until you're better."_

_"Fine. When I get better, you find a witch to do the spell and I'll do it if you will."_

_"I don't want you to ever doubt my feelings for you, so if it will prove to you that my feelings are real, I'll do it."_

_"Okay."_

_"You'll be waking up soon. I can feel it. If you want, I can do your hair again and actually rub your back."_

_"Okay."_

_"Keep focused on this place so it doesn't change before you wake. I'll be there when you open your eyes."_

_"I'll see you then." _And then Klaus disappeared. She automatically missed him being there. The place didn't feel the same without him. She saw everything starting to blur as she self herself waking up.

_"Hello again love. Kol has some news that we need to hear."_

**Klaus, Kol, Caroline, Stephen, Bonnie, and Jeremy POV**

Everyone except Terri had gathered in the living room upon Kol's arrival, waiting for news. Caroline ad just woke back up, and when Klaus talked to her, everyone knew that he had crept into her dreams.

_"Yes Nik, I do have things to tell everyone, and I have to be quick. Marcel was found guilty for plotting against his followers. They had a public trial and Elijah executed him. He's no longer a problem, and his followers are now on our family's side. Damon and Enzo are up in New York, and Elena is still at the college. She isn't aware of when Liz's funeral is, so she won't be there. Elijah did as I requested him to do, and soon you all will know what I had him get. Now for finale… it's time for me to go." _He said while Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy snapped their heads up towards him. Caroline then looked to Klaus and shook him. She looked back to Kol and helped her up. He walked her towards his brother, but when she tried to grab his arm, her hand went through him. _"I've already started fading. If I waited any longer, only Bonnie would see me. Stay out of trouble and go gently on my brother. You're the only one that could really hurt him. Nik, take care of her. You two have so much to look forward to; well, all of you do really. Stephen, remember the warning regarding my sister. And, please keep an eye on Nik and Caroline… you know how stubborn they both are." _Kol smirked as he finished. Caroline was crying and Klaus was restraining his tears. Stephen nodded to Kol to signal his word. _"Jeremy, again, congratulations on becoming a father and take care of my bats. They took a while to collect so don't lose any of them." _Jeremy nodded as Bonnie stood. _"Bonnie, I wish this wouldn't hurt you, but I'd say it will hurt as bad as Quetseya did. I'm a thousand years old. Jeremy, take her upstairs to lie down when I'm through her. Bonnie are you ready?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Goodbye brother." _Klaus said as a tear escaped him. Caroline nodded her head and closed her eyes. She couldn't watch him go.

_"Goodbye Kol."_ Stephen said.

_"Goodbye and I will guard your bats. I'll even pass them down the generations." _Jeremy added.

_"Goodbye everyone." _Kol said as he took a hold of Bonnie's shoulders and disappeared. Jeremy and Stephen caught Bonnie as she screamed and fell towards the floor. Klaus led Caroline back to her bed as Jeremy and Stephen took Bonnie to her and Jeremy's room. Then Stephen went to his own room. Nobody wanted to talk anymore and the next day they would have to say goodbye to Liz, so everyone went to lie down. Klaus and Caroline couldn't go back to sleep, so they laid there staring at each other until sunrise.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm writing while I do not have internet, so I will upload new chapters as I get service. If you like it, review. If you don't. I'm sorry you wasted your time. I'm writing this story because I'm a Klaroline shipper and the writers/producers of the show insist on torturing all of the Klaroline shippers. I figured I would use my imagination help me keep hope that this ship will pull through whatever the writers/producers throw at it.

If anyone has an idea that they think will make this a better story, let me know and I will take into consideration. Thank you everyone and have fun reading.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Funeral**

Everyone at the house made it to the cemetery before a crowd could gather. Caroline was sitting in the front between Klaus and Stefan in the first row. The rest of the group took the remaining seats in the same row. Instead of a religious ceremony, Stephen decided to have some of the people close to Liz speak about her before Bonnie and himself finished. Caroline's eyes never left the picture of her mother dressed in her sheriff's uniform. She barely heard a word anyone said over the grief she was feeling and the smell of everyone's blood. She kept a tight hold on Klaus to keep herself grounded; she was determined to finish saying goodbye to her mother. When it was finally time for Bonnie and Stefan to talk, she forced her eyes to them. Bonnie started first because she knew Liz longer.

_"Being friends with Caroline since elementary school gave me the opportunity to know Liz. I can't count all of the sleepovers where she would let us take over the house. If I had a question, she gave me the best honest answer she could. She worked hard to protect this town and all of the people in it. It would cut into the time she spent with her daughter, but she still did her best to make up for it during their times together. You see… Liz knew that it takes more than running a household to keep her daughter safe; she felt she had to keep this to step it up a notch and make the town safe. So, it is with great sorrow that we have to say goodbye to Liz; my best friend's mother. At times I felt she was like a mother to me, and I only wish she could have lived a longer life. Thank you everyone."_

_"Hello everyone, I have only known Liz for the past couple years, but I couldn't have me a better lady. Me being an arrogant teenage boy, I can see her uneasiness with me being friends with her daughter, but she never pushed me away. As time passed, she became someone I could talk to; like her daughter. There were times I didn't want to be around my brother and she would open her home up to me. During those times, Caroline and I would always try to surprise her with something when she got home from work; whether it would be dinner, a cleaned house, or Caroline had made me go shopping. When Liz would get home, her smile made all of those shopping outlets worth it. So, like with Bonnie, Liz became like a mother to me as well. I feel honored that she was my friend and I don't think this town could have found a better sheriff. She will be sorely missed. Thank you everyone."_

After Stefan and Bonnie had finished their speeches, Caroline couldn't be there anymore and tugged on Klaus arm. He gave Stefan a nod, and led Caroline back to the car. Terri joined them to say goodbye.

_"You're mother sounds like she was a wonderful woman. I'm sure she was proud of you. Well, I wanted to be able to say goodbye to you two before I left. I already said goodbye to everyone else before the funeral. Now, Caroline, your pain spasms will decrease in severity and frequency over the next couple days. They WILL NOT last. I know that you will be well taken care of, so I feel it is my time to depart. Everyone has my number, so if you need anything, just give me a call. Klaus just remember to be patient with her and the same goes for you if you need anything; just give me a call. Goodbye you two."_

_"Goodbye Terri and thank you for all you've done."_

_"Well Bonnie and Jeremy are going to stop and get something to eat, but they said they would meet us in Richmond for the plane. Caroline do you have Matt and April's letters ready?" _She nodded and handed them to Stefan. _"Okay, let's drive over and I'll give them to them. I think you'll be surprised when we get there."_

_"Come on mate, does she really need any more surprises?"_

_"This is a good surprise. Caroline will enjoy this." _Stefan said as he smiled. Caroline only looked at him confused. She agreed with Klaus; she didn't want any more surprises right now, but Stefan said she would like it, so she didn't object. She had seen them at the funeral, but she guessed they left with Bonnie and Jeremy or something. They drove through the streets and came upon a house she hadn't been to before. It wasn't a huge house, but it wasn't small either. She looked to Stefan confused, but Klaus answered her silent question.

_"This is the safe house that was set up for them when you were under the spell. We didn't want Tyler to get to them, and we had to find somewhere he wouldn't know about. This is theirs, and it will remain in their names until they get rid of it themselves." _She nodded and watched Stefan exit the car. She rolled her window down to catch a final glimpse of her friends. They had insisted on staying behind when everyone else left. Matt had answered the door, but when he saw Stefan, he turned and hollered for April. They both walked hand in hand towards the car, trying to judge how close they could get without making Caroline uncomfortable.

_"Hey Care, I know you can't talk, but we still wanted to see you before you left. We have a little surprise for you. This week has shown us a lot of things about this life. We're together now." _Matt said as she gave a little smile. _"I didn't know that Tyler was going to do anything; I promise you that. If I had known, I would have said something and tried to stop him." _He said and she shook her head. _"Yes, I would have tried to stop him. The Tyler that was my friend disappeared a long time ago. The Tyler he became was nothing to me. I don't care what would have happened to me; I would have done something. I wanted to come help you, but I knew it would be harder on you. When you're better, give us a call and we'll come visit you or you can visit us whenever. I sold the deed to Tyler's house to the bank. There are no more Lockwood members, so it's best the town decides what happens to it. It gave us a pretty good amount to live off of while we move up on our own. You don't have to worry about us, Care. It's time to worry about yourself." _Matt finished as April nodded in agreement with a smile. Caroline smiled back at the two with new tears falling from her eyes. Stefan patted Matt on the back of his shoulder and got back in the car.

The drive to Richmond didn't take long and they would have to wait a little while for Bonnie and Jeremy to arrive, so Stefan pulled into a small shopping center. Caroline looked to Stefan a little panicked, but he just gave her a serious face.

_"Caroline, you need baby steps. This is a small spot, and you like shopping too much to ever give it up. When you became a vampire, you were shopping as soon as you got your daylight ring. We'll be right there the whole time, and I brought you a blood bag to drink before you ever leave the car. But, you have to practice Care." _ Stefan said as he handed her the blood bag.

_"Stefan mate, don't you think it's a little soon to be putting this on her?"_

_"She's getting ready to have to be on a plane with Bonnie and Jeremy. If she can handle this, she'll handle the plane ride."_

_"Fine, but you better go in there and do crowd control. She doesn't need too many people around her yet. She did amazing at the funeral, but twice in one day is pushing her a bit far."_

_"I wouldn't suggest it, if I felt she couldn't do it. I know she can do it." _Stefan retorted. Klaus was about to say something back, but Caroline smacked them both and opened the door. Klaus and Stephen filed out of the car, right behind her. She only paused momentarily at the door before pushing it open. There weren't too many people in the store and she did her best to keep a distance from them. She went through the racks picking out what she liked, but not overdoing it. She wasn't THAT mad at them for shadowing her, but it still irked her that they wanted to argue about her like she wasn't there. She decided to skip the dressing room; they did have a plane to catch and she wouldn't have a warning if she had a pain episode. So she wanted out of the store quickly. She looked through the clothes in her arms before handing them to Stefan with a raised eyebrow, then turned and went to leave the store. Stefan looked at Klaus who smirked and followed Caroline. _"And then there was one." _Stefan said with a small laugh before heading the checkout.

_"Shopping for your girlfriend?"_

_"Oh no, she's not my girlfriend; she's my sister. Just trying to cheer her up some."_

_"Well that's nice. Why does she need cheering up, if you don't mind me asking?"_

_"We're moving and she's never left Virginia. She's not too happy about it."_

_"I'm sure she'll be fine when y'all settle in, especially with you for a brother. My brother never shops to cheer me up."_

_"Well we have to hit the road. Thanks for everything."_

_"Y'all have a safe trip. Have fun in your new town."_

_"Will do. Take care." _And with that, Stefan exited the store. He knew the clerk had been beginning to flirt, but he figured the easiest way to stop her was mentioning that it wasn't going to happen with leaving town. As he made his way back to the car, he saw Klaus and Caroline standing there waiting on him with expectant faces. Stefan then figured out that Caroline had planned for him to be caught up with the girl at the register.

_"Well Stephen, it took you long enough mate."_

_"Well I'm guessing that had something to do with Caroline making me pay for the clothes when she knew there would be a girl there. I'm going to get you back for that one Caroline." _He joked and she pulled out a notepad.

**Shouldn't have made me shop today.**

_"Well, it looks like you found a way to voice your opinions. I guess we don't have to spend so much time trying to figure out what you want now." _He joked back to her.

**Can we go now?**

_"Yes Care, we can go now." _He replied and Klaus laughed. _"What's so funny?"_

_"I got her the notepad from the office store while you were talking to the cashier. She dragged me in there as soon as we walked out. I got to say I love how fast her mind works, and you're face coming out was worth it."_

_"Yes, let's all have a laugh on me, now let's go."_

**You have your ways to lighten the mood and I have mine. Now how about you find me the closest tranquilizer before you put me on a plane?**

_"After everything, you're afraid of a plane?"_

**HEIGHTS Stefan! I hate heights and being a vampire is not going to change that.**

_"Nothing is going to happen Care, and no tranquilizers are needed. Just let Klaus distract you." _He joked back and saw her jaw drop.

_"If you two keep this up, Bonnie and Jeremy will beat us to the plane. Come on. Oh and Caroline? I'll happily distract you on the plane." _He smirked and Caroline watched them get in the car. This was going to be a long flight. Both men were still smiling when she got in her side of the car. She was already forming a plan in her head, and the plane ride would be the ultimate way to focus on the details. She had designed Senior Prank Night. They wouldn't know what hit them. Now, who would be the perfect ally? It had to be someone they least expected her to team up with. It couldn't be Bonnie and Jeremy. She didn't think Elijah was much of a prankster, but he would be unsuspecting, and she doubted she could get along with Rebekah long enough to carry out a plan. However, not only was unsuspecting, she had skills that could be useful. She would just have to make sure Rebekah and her had some alone time when they got there.

**On the Plane**

Bonnie and Jeremy had just been getting out of the car when they arrived. Everyone boarded rather quickly, and Caroline headed straight for the onboard bar. She was glad Klaus loved his liquor at that moment. She did not even want to see out the window and closed as many as she could. The men watched her with amusement and Bonnie got up to help her. Bonnie had been nauseous since eating and thought seeing the plane's movement or the ground disappearing would make her throw up.

**Are you alright Bonnie? You look really pale.**

_"I'm guessing the morning sickness has started. I feel like I'm going to hurl."_

**Sit next to the restroom. I'll stay as close to you as I can.**

_"Alright Care. Thank you for asking. You do realize that all the guys are staring at us like we've lost our minds?"_

**I don't care. I've been stared at for days now. They're always scared I'm going to slip.**

_"You look more in control. I think the only thing we have to worry about now are the pain spasms you have, but they won't last much longer. Have you had one today?"_

**I did, but don't say anything. It was after Stefan spoke at Mom's funeral. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as the one at dinner, so everyone thought I was just really upset. I'm going to try to start talking a little tomorrow I think.**

_"Well I have some news that might cheer you up."_

**If it's April and Matt, I already found out.**

_"No it's not them. Wait, what about Matt and April?"_

**They're together now.**

_"Wow. Okay, so when did that happen?"_

**This week.**

_"Okay, well I have news about the pregnancy." _Bonnie said and Caroline's eyes shot wide.

**WHAT?! Tell me please please please please!**

_"Well it seems like you got your wish. I'm having twins; a boy and a girl. So I guess that means we're having purple and green diapers on the ducks."_

_"OH MY GOD!" _she tried to squeal, but it sounded more like a croak. She threw her arms around Bonnie and gave her a hug. She remembered to watch her strength for Bonnie's safety, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling and giving a little laugh. When she pulled back, she was crying a little too.

_"Care! You talked!" _Bonnie exclaimed and hugged Caroline again.

_"It had to be something special for her to talk so soon." _Stefan said as all the guys walked up to them.

_"I told her some news about the baby; or should I say babies." _Bonnie replied and Jeremy fainted. Stefan caught him while everyone laughed. After laying Jeremy in a seat and buckling him in, everyone took their seats. _"So, I guess it's safe to assume you need to wait a little longer before talking. You sound like you had a bad case of tonsillitis."_

**Trust me, I felt like I did, but I couldn't help it. I'm so happy for you, but I'm worried you'll be mad that I wished that on you.**

_"I'm not mad that you said you wished I had twins. It's not like wishing it actually made it happen. I'm just worried about how I'm going to carry them when I'm passing dead people through me the whole time. That may be why I'm having twins; to keep me from getting pregnant a lot. Although, if I get pregnant with twins every time, I will be furious."_

**So you want more when the time comes?**

_"I don't know yet. I guess we'll see what happens and decide when we're ready. If we have more, we have more, but if we decide to stop, we'll stop. Oh, I almost forgot, we picked the godparents, but I'm going to wait until Jeremy wakes up to reveal them."_

**That's not fair Bonnie! You can't tell me something like that and leave me hanging!**

_"I'll tell you when he wakes up. Be just a little patient and I promise it'll be worth it. Oh god, hold on a minute…" _she said as she leaped out of her chair and ran to the restroom. Caroline followed her and pulled her hair back as she emptied her stomach's contents. Stefan went and shook Jeremy awake to let him know Bonnie had gotten sick. Jeremy stumbled to the restroom and switched out positions with Caroline. Caroline went and sat next to Klaus and Stefan.

**I never thought I'd say this but I'm glad I never got pregnant.**

She showed Stefan and Klaus. They just looked at her funny before nodding.

**Seriously, imagine me with mood swings and morning sickness. I'm neurotic enough!**

Stefan laughed at that and Klaus rubbed her back. Bonnie and Jeremy came out of the restroom and Caroline looked at her.

**Are you okay Bon?**

_"I'm fine Care. I figured I wouldn't make it through the flight before I lost my lunch. It was just wishful thinking. Let me get some water and then we'll talk some more." _She said as she walked to the mini fridge. She was ever so glad to see Evian water; her favorite. She chugged about half the bottle before heading back to sit in the seat next to Caroline and Klaus. Jeremy decided to sit in one of the empty seats next to Stefan. _"Okay, well me and Jeremy have picks the godparents. Caroline I chose you to be the godmother. Jeremy, why don't you tell them the godfather?"_

_"Well since Caroline is a vampire and is a good option for parent material, we had to decide what guy could be parent material and endure the lives we live. So, Stefan, I picked you for the godfather. You've watched over me before, so I know you can do it." _Jeremy explained. Stefan, Klaus, and Caroline all went wide-eyed, and Stefan gave Jeremy a big smile.

_"I figured you would have picked Matt or something. I would be honored to be godfather to your children." _Stephen said proudly.

**Thank you guys! Those kids are going to be so spoiled. Just please don't ask me to change diapers.**

_"Yeah, me either please." _Stephen added quickly.

_"This is going to be interesting." _Klaus said and Caroline glared at him. _"I didn't say it would be bad; just interesting." _Then he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "_I wish I could give that kind of joy to you because as much as you dislike the side effects of pregnancy, I know you would have wanted to be a mother." _He leaned away and she saw the sadness in his face. She nodded her head to him.

**Can we talk about that later? I want to be happy for Bonnie right now.**

Klaus nodded with a sad smile. What she didn't know was that when Klaus had found out about Haley being pregnant, all he could think about was Caroline. He never wanted a child with Haley, but when he thought he was going to, he pictured what his reaction would be if it had been Caroline. Since there wasn't a way to give that to her, he wouldn't tell her that she was the only person he would want having children with. He knew the werewolves mated, but vampires didn't have that system. He wasn't sure which he would have since he was a hybrid, but all signs pointed to Caroline. He had noticed her and felt a pull before releasing his wolf side; and from there it only got stronger. He was definitely going to have to check up on the subject. It would make sense to him it she was his mate. She wasn't a wolf, so it would make sense she could resist as much as she had. Bloody hell, she's still resisting; even though her knew she felt something in return. Maybe he could find a witch that could explain it to him when he was looking for one to give Caroline all his memories of her. He didn't necessarily want to work with any of the witches in New Orleans on this matter though; he didn't really trust them with something so close to him. Perhaps Terri would have some free time, or Bonnie had some suggestions. Bonnie would probably have better material on the subject since she came from one of the strongest witch lines, but she couldn't really do anything. He already knew Terri didn't have the strength to limit a memory transfer, but she might know someone who could. They had all the time in the world, being vampires, so he would wait as long as she needed to accept him. She needed to be sure because he already knew he couldn't ever let her go.

Caroline continued writing messages to Bonnie while she talked. It was getting a little tiring with all the writing and she had never missed her voice so much, but this was important. Klaus had been right; she had wanted to be a mother even with all of the negative aspects of pregnancy. Still, why would he say that to you her? She hardly ever let her mind wander to the subject because it was impossible. And why did he look so sad about it? If Haley had found a way to get pregnant by Tyler, couldn't he find that same way to get someone else pregnant if he wanted kids? It hurt to think about it, but she couldn't hold him back from the opportunity. She would never be able to give him that if he wanted it, and then he would regret wasting so much time with her. She had to keep him at a distance; it was the only way he would accept a life she couldn't give him. She would get better and then disappear; give him a clean break. If only it didn't hurt so much, but she couldn't think about that now.

Stefan had been conversing with Jeremy, but he kept watching Klaus and Caroline. Both of them seemed lost in their thoughts; Klaus was obviously more engrossed with his, but he had said something to her. Wherever her thoughts were leading her weren't good. She had lost a lot of the happiness that was shining from the minutes prior, when they had received the news from Bonnie. He decided to ask Klaus about it. Stefan figured it would be easier getting Klaus to tell him because he was looking for any help he could get regarding Caroline.

_"Hey Klaus, I need to talk to you for a minute… in private. Caroline will be okay for a minute, won't you?" _Caroline nodded and Klaus stood up to follow Stefan. When they were in the back of the plan in the onboard bedroom, Stefan gave a mental shiver while pushing thoughts of why Klaus had a bedroom on a plane, and turned to the hybrid. _"I don't really want to ask this, but I can't help it. What did you say to Caroline before you got quiet?"_

_"Why do you ask mate?"_

_"Because whatever it is, she's still thinking about it. I know the face she is giving. It her ' I have a serious thought going through my head, but I'll act like in listening to everything you say like nothing's wrong' face. Now… care to tell me why she is starting to look depressed?"_

_"After she made that comment about pregnancy, I knew she didn't really mean it. I know she had wanted to be a mother, and I told her that I'm sorry and that I wished I could have given it to her. I know it was probably bad timing to say something like that to her, but I'm grasping at straws here. I don't know what she wants me to do, and I can't think of what would be right to say to her. I've never been so confused, mate."_

_"Well you're right about the timing; although, with that subject, I would say avoid it like the plague with her. She's a vampire Klaus. She knows it is impossible for her, but think about what she has learned recently."_

_"What is that?"_

_"That it's not impossible for you. Haley used a spell on Tyler and herself to get pregnant because Tyler was a hybrid; like you. And, like you, he was a werewolf. That left him open for magic to make procreation possible; the same as you. So, knowing Caroline, she's probably thinking about that."_

_"I wouldn't want anyone but her to be the mother of my children."_

_"But, you see… that's the thing. She knows she can't, so she'll try even harder to push you away now so you have that possibility. What would you do if the roles were reversed? What if she could have children and you couldn't?"_

_"I would let her choose."_

_"Really? You wouldn't make her go, so she could experience that for herself?"_

_"I would probably try that, but ultimately it would be her choice. Tell me Stefan… when has she ever really let me choose for her?"_

_"Not completely on her own, but she has left options open."_

_"Right, so I would let her choose. I can't make her do anything she doesn't want to do unless her or someone's life in on the line. But, I wouldn't use that tactic on this subject. Listen Stefan; if there was a way I could give her children, I would do it. Having children is nothing to me without her. So, if that's what is really bothering her, help me to get her to see my side of this. I will do anything for her, except lose her."_

_"What if she wanted to leave?"_

_"If she wanted to leave because she really wanted it, I would let her, but I wouldn't let her leave because she thinks she is doing me a favor."_

_"Then I'll help you, but ti's not going to be easy."_

_"When has it ever been easy trying to convince her?"_

_"Well it hasn't, but some of that was your own fault. Just be there when she is ready to talk, and don't say anything else that is accidently going to change her mind. I'll talk to her too. I'm sure everyone else will when she starts talking."_

_"There's also something else I was thinking about. I don't know if I want to tell you or not. I don't know what you'll think or say about it."_

_"If it's bad, I don't want to know."_

_"It depends on how you look at it. I think it would be great, but I don't know how Caroline would feel about it."_

_"Well let me hear it and I'll answer what I think about it, and tell you whether or not it's a safe subject for Caroline."_

_"Okay, well this isn't a definite situation, and I want to fully investigate it when I find a witch that might know. Alright, well you see, werewolves mate. There's only one mate and it's for life. Vampires don't have that system. They can change lovers over time because of the immortality. I have no idea about hybrids. I'm the only one left, so it's not like it's a well-known topic."_

_"You think Caroline is your mate?"_

_"I don't know for sure, but you have to admit there's been something there from the beginning. I noticed her with Matt when I was in Alaric's body. I felt pulled to her, but I pegged it up to being in her teacher's body. I saw her again the night of the sacrifice for a brief second as my witched locked her and Tyler up. When I felt the same pull, I chalked it up to the ritual about to take place and maybe something left over from being in Alaric's body, so I ignored it. Well, I felt it, yet again, when I turned Tyler into a hybrid. I mean, no doubt she's beautiful, but I couldn't explain it still, so I tried to avoid her. When Tyler was doing things around my house, he would talk to me and the other hybrids about her, or should I say complain. What struck me as odd were the things he would complain about. He would say she nagged him constantly, but when he said how she nagged, all I heard was a loyalty and devotion. At homecoming, I only saw her for a minute and made sure to point out that I saw her to Tyler. I let him know that if your gang had planned something against me, all of his friends would pay the price. I did it so he would get her out of there. I hadn't even met her properly, but I didn't want to risk losing the chance to do so. Later you stole my family, and Tyler walked through the door. I knew Caroline was allied with Elena, and I thought it she would get you to do what I wanted, so I asked Tyler to bite her. He refused, so I told him to not worry about it; that I would find another way to get back at you. However, he still bit her. I don't know if it was still because of the sire bond or it really was an accident, so I went to her house after Tyler told me about it. When Liz asked me what I wanted, I just asked for her support. I figured I might need it later, and she accepted. After actually meeting her, I couldn't believe how she really was. I knew she had thought about giving up and dying, but at the time I didn't know why, so I talked to her. I told her about all of the things out there she could see, and finally got her to say she didn't want to die. I actually let her bite me to heal. You know I don't normally do that. Both times I've healed her, she's bit me; although I had to initially bite myself the second time, but she finally latched on herself. Anyway, from the first time I healed her, you know haven't been able to stop focusing on her. I'm in love with her. But, what I want to know is if she's my mate because it would explain why I was pulled to her like a magnet."_

_"It makes sense to me, but I still wouldn't say anything to her unless you knew for sure."_

_"I planned on investigating this before telling her."_

_"What if it turns out that she's not your mate? I mean she is a vampire. Werewolves and vampires are enemies."_

_"That much is true, but like I said, I'm a hybrid. I was born a werewolf when magic made me a vampire. Caroline was human before she became a vampire. But, my point is that werewolves' mates are sometimes humans. With me being immortal, I would need a mate that could live life with me; immortal. Me being a hybrid could leave the door open for me to have a vampire mate."_

_"It's possible. I hope it turns out that she is. It'll make things easier for you."_

_"It would, but that's not why I'm doing it. Honestly, I've never even questioned having a mate until her."_

_"Then it's more likely that it's true. I'll help you find out anything there is on it or a witch that might know. The spirits might know, but good luck getting an answer about it."_

_"Yes, I know. But, I want to get back out there to her. You start a subject to pick her up that I can talk about, and we'll keep it light for her the rest of the way. We'll be there soon anyway."_

_"Sure; no problem."_

_"Thanks mate; for everything."_

Stefan nodded his head as he and Klaus went back to the others. All of them had somehow managed to fall asleep while Stefan and Klaus had been talking, so they grabbed some blankets to cover them up with. Then they proceeded to the bar to finish up the trip. Klaus needed to talk to Elijah when they landed, so he needed to figure out a way to talk to him without stressing Caroline with the details. He knew that Elijah had taken Haley back to New Orleans when they left to await Caroline returning to her body, but he didn't know if they had killed her already or not. He didn't really care, but he didn't want any surprises when they got there. Stefan had been thinking about what Klaus had told him. He believed that it was entirely possible for Caroline to be Klaus' mate. No matter how many plots she had been involved in against him, was a distraction, or had upset him, she was still alive to tell the tale. No one else could really say that outside of their group. Klaus had even refrained slightly from hurting those she cared about so he wouldn't lose a chance with her. After hearing Klaus out, he didn't doubt it one bit. Then he had to keep himself from laughing; who would have thought that Caroline could be Klaus' mate? It was almost surreal, but he knew she had what it would take. He knew it would take someone strong and stubborn for Klaus to meet his match and Caroline was both of those.

Klaus and Stefan relaxed at the bar for the remainder of the flight. When they were preparing to land, they woke everyone up so they would be ready to go when they landed. Bonnie and Caroline had only woken up enough to sit up with their eyes closed when Jeremy and Klaus smiled. Jeremy rolled his eyes, let out a breath, and picked her up, telling her to go back to sleep because he would carry her. Klaus went to pick up Caroline and noticed she had already fallen back to sleep sitting up. He gave a quiet laugh and shook his head before picking her up too. Stefan decided to grab everything they had carried on board. There wasn't much and they had a car service outside that would retrieve all of the luggage. So, with one last look around the plane he followed everyone out to the car. After Klaus had put Caroline in the limo with Bonnie and Jeremy, he pulled out his phone to call Elijah.

_"Elijah, we've just landed. Tell me, is everything sorted?"_

_"Yes. I'm surprised you're here already. I'm assuming Kol informed you of Marcel?"_

_"Yes, he did. Have you disposed of the little wolf traitor?"_

_"Yes, I disposed of her shortly after I dealt with Marcel; although I didn't use a public display with her. Terri informed when Caroline returned to her body, so I assumed it was safe to rid us of the pest."_

_"You assumed correctly brother. However, Bonnie is accompanying us, so we might see Hayley again when she passes through the anchor. We might place her and Jeremy in one of the separate additions to our home, so we don't chance her trying something prior to passing on."_

_"That is a good idea Niklaus, I will have it set up before your arrival. Stop and get something to eat or show our new guests the sights to give me some extra time if you don't mind."_

_"Not at all brother; text me when everything is set for our arrival. See you soon brother." _Klaus finished as he entered limo with everyone else. _"It seems our accommodations aren't quite ready yet, so we are going to get something to eat and I will give a quick tour so nobody gets lost later." _He then informed and the guys nodded and tried to wake the girls up again.


	11. Chapter 11

**New Orleans**

_"Care! Bon! Wake up you two; we're here and Klaus is going to show us a couple places before we go to his place." _Stefan spoke loudly as he shook both the girls. Bonnie was still easier to get up than Caroline, as she switched seats with Jeremy to look out the window. Caroline hadn't given up sleep without a fight. Every time Stefan shook her, she tried to slap him away and groaned. Stefan had seen her sleep like that before and knew it would be a challenge. He made Jeremy and Bonnie go sit where Klaus had been sitting and had Klaus to help him with his final plan. _"Okay Caroline, you want to play this the hard way, then be prepared to lose. We're in a city you've never been to and I'll be damned if you sleep through it." _She managed to smack him with that comment. _"Klaus, be ready to hold her; she's not going to be too happy with me in a minute." _And he started tickling her. Klaus wasn't too happy with Stefan tickling Caroline, but he knew Stefan wasn't trying anything with her. So, Klaus held her as she shot awake and thrashed while trying to get away from Stefan's assault. When she realized she couldn't get away, she hit them both.

_"Stop!" _She half screamed. "_Awake." _She breathed. She knew they didn't know that tickling hurt right then. She didn't know what made Stefan think that if she couldn't talk she could be tickled. So, she took some deep breaths and looked at him. Apparently he saw she was hiding some pain when she looked at him because he backed away a little."

_"Shit! I'm so sorry Caroline. I didn't think. God! I feel so stupid right now." _He cursed himself. Klaus automatically loosened his grip to one of comfort.

_"I'm fine." _She whispered as she adjusted her face with a small smile. She turned so Klaus could see the same smile, and nodded to repeat what she had said silently.

_"You can go back to sleep sweetheart. I'll show you the city later when you feel like it." _Klaus relied to her nod. She shook her head no. Now was a good a time as any to see the city. Perhaps she could find some coffee soon; and maybe some blood. She had done well on the plane, but she didn't want to push herself any further around Bonnie and Jeremy.

15 minutes of traffic later and they stopped at a small café. Caroline pulled out her notebook and wrote her order down. When she showed the waitress, she questioned why Caroline didn't speak her order but she wrote laryngitis to get her to leave them alone. Klaus chuckled and she looked at him in question.

_"That excuse worked this time, but this town knows of the supernatural community. She was human, but you won't always be able to hide being a vampire so easily."_

**What should I say then?**

_"Just stick close to the truth; say it's a side effect of a spell used on you." _She nodded and put her notepad in her purse. When the waitress returned, everyone dug into orders and all but Bonnie had ordered coffee; she had ordered tea and was already missing coffee. Caroline looked at her sympathetically and offered her a drink, but she declined; better safe than sorry. When they all finished, they filed back into the limo and proceeded down Bourbon Street. Klaus named off the different establishments and pointed out places that were safe and which ones to avoid. He didn't want them wandering unaccompanied until he knew for sure the city was safe for them, but he couldn't keep up with all of them all of the time. After looking at the sights for about 45 minutes, Klaus' phone dinged. _"Elijah just informed me that everything is ready for our arrival now. So, we can continue or we can go to the house. I can always point out things on the way there. Plus, Elijah is ready to begin the tour of the buildings and grounds when we arrive." _Klaus explained. Everyone agreed to go to the house and get settled in. The moving trucks would be there the next day and they wanted to be ready. _"Another thing… I don't know what you all will think about this, but I talked with Elijah earlier and he told me he had executed Marcel and Haley. He waited until Caroline was back in her body, but there is still the chance of them passing through Bonnie soon. My property is made up of several houses that are all close to the main house. Bonnie, you and Jeremy will have the closest house to the main building. As soon as they pass through on, you two may move into the main house or stay in the one that is set up. It's only temporary unless you feel more comfortable with making it long-term. Elijah has already agreed that we will take shifts staying with you until then o we know and you're both protected."_

**Why can't they stay in the main house?**

_"Marcel and Haley were both involved in the same plot to kill you, and Marcel had Davina on his side. We don't know if Davina is a threat right now. Lily never returned and if Davina captured her, that means she would know if Marcel was paying her a visit. We don't know what she'd do or what she plans to do. You are still adjusting to being back and it could happen to you again; or any vampire. The spell was designed specifically for vampires. Would you risk Stefan? Is Katherine still his sire after becoming human and being remade into a vampire? If so, am I still the creator of your bloodline or is Elijah now? It could be either of us or in this case both. I would assume that you two are still descended from me because Katherine was at the time you were both made, and any future vampires of her making would be descended from Elijah. But again, I don't know. Do you want to risk it?"_

**No, I don't want to risk Stefan, but I don't want to put Bonnie and Jeremy at risk by having them in another house. We would know if Marcel or Haley showed up with Bonnie closer. Then she could grab them and force them through.**

_"She has a point Klaus. We could do what we did with Tyler. With a strong enough witch, you can summon their spirits one at a time and grab them. I don't know why we didn't think of that before." _Stefan added backing up Caroline.

_"Bonnie, Jeremy? What do you to want to do? Bonnie, they have to pass through you, so what do you think would be the safest, easiest way?" _Klaus asked.

_"I say we summon them. We'll start with Haley because she'll be the easiest. Then Lily because it will lure Marcel away from Davina if that's where they're at. Marcel will be last. He's older and he'll be more painful and the most dangerous. Stefan, Caroline? I don't want either of you around. Klaus is right about being concerned about bloodlines. We don't know if Katherine's blood would work for Stefan and you are too drained for this. AND, you both are obvious targets; you two would be the first they would go for."_

_"Okay, I will inform Elijah when we arrive. We'll be there in about a mile so be ready. Elijah would try to inform us if something was happening, but with Davina we must be careful. She's young, but she's strong; so be observant and get into the house as quickly as possible." _Klaus instructed and everyone nodded in agreement. Caroline and Stefan looked at each other in understanding. Neither of them wanted to be left out of a fight, but it could possibly lead to more harm than good trying to participate. They didn't want to put more risk on anybody.

**At the Mansion**

Elijah was waiting outside on the group to arrive. He had heard from Davina and he didn't know if he could trust her to leave his family be in return for her freedom and peace from them. He was prepared if she attacked. He had informed Sophie and her coven that they were not held to the deal previously made with them, but they could still earn freedom by helping the originals and the group joining them. So, Sophie and her coven were prepared to either finish the harvest or strip Davina of all her powers. By stripping her of her powers, it would render her completely void of magic in a human form. The other sacrificial members from the harvest, whose powers resided in Davina, would leave with her own magic. Either way, Elijah was prepared to protect his family and those under their protection. Everyone was in their positions just in case; Elijah felt it necessary with the feeling he had all day. If there were in changes in the plan his brother had explained earlier, it was safe to say he would have to hear them when they got there. At least his brother didn't call him constantly with too many details. It didn't feel completely safe yet.

Elijah's mind was also wandering to thoughts of Kol and the spell he had sent him after. He couldn't believe such a spell existed or was valid, but they would find out. Luckily, he had called Terri to check it out in the next few days. He wanted everything out of the way when they investigated it. If it was valid, it would mean so much to each of them. Kol wouldn't have sent him after it if it was fake would he? He didn't think he would and he hoped he didn't. He didn't have too long to ponder before he saw the limo pulling in. He walked down the steps and stood by the drive.

Bonnie was the first to get out and whisper to Elijah the change of plans. Jeremy followed her out and stood beside her as Stefan exited next. He reached for Caroline's hand and she took it. He blurred her to the door where Rebekah was with an older gentleman to invite them in. By the time they stepped over the threshold, Klaus had got out of the limo and was speaking to Elijah. Elijah pulled out his phone and sent a text to Sophie asking her and the coven to set up in the front yard for the new plan. Bonnie stood in the center of the witches with Jeremy behind her for support. Klaus and Elijah were standing outside of the circle to stand guard. Rebekah had been instructed to protect Stefan and Caroline; and to keep them inside the house.

The coven had started chanting and as Bonnie planned, Haley showed herself looking confused for a second before Bonnie grabbed her and grit her teeth in pain. When Lily had shown up, she offered to wait until Marcel was through to help Bonnie, so they agreed. It took immense power for the witches to summon Marcel. They knew he had been with Davina, so they could expect a fight from her soon. Lily grabbed Marcel and pushed him towards Bonnie who met her part of the way to pass Marcel through, but he pulled Lily with him. Bonnie screamed and dropped to her knees before Jeremy caught her. The witches broke the circle and went to go back to their positions and wait for Davina. Klaus and Elijah blurred in the house to grab some food and drinks to help the witches rebuild their strength faster. If Davina was already on her way, they would need all the power they had. Stefan had grabbed some water for Bonnie and asked Rebekah to find her something she could eat that wouldn't make her throw up. Rebekah didn't argue or complain to Stefan's surprise; Kol must have been right about how she would take all of the recent news and events. Caroline had moved to help Jeremy hold Bonnie up while she was drinking her water. Rebekah came back with orange juice, fruit, crackers, and cookies.

_"I didn't know what to get so I just got some light food. Is she going to be okay?"_

_"Yes, she just needs to rest. Hopefully nobody else passes through her for a while. You did well with the food Rebekah, thank you." _Stefan said as he smiled to her. She nodded and sat next to Caroline. Caroline was too focused on Bonnie to notice Rebekah for a few moments, but when she turned around she jumped from seeing her so close.

_"Hey Caroline, I'm sorry about everything that happened to you. We thought everyone in Mystic Falls was safe from us when we left. We didn't think anything would pass between the two places, but we should have expected it." _Rebekah said and Caroline pulled out her notepad.

**Thanks Rebekah. I'm sorry you were betrayed by Marcel. I happen to see some of it when I was checking on everything down here. I think Kol did too. Neither of us went around Davina though. We didn't want to get stuck with her.**

_"It's okay Caroline. Marcel always loved power and once again, he chose power over me. Is Matt enjoying being back home, aside from all the recent dangers?"_

**I think so. He's with April now. I found out right after my mom's funeral. I'm sorry he didn't choose you either. He doesn't want to be a vampire so he won't be with one. Trust me, I know; been there, done that, lived through it. You'll find someone who will love you for you one day; I just don't know when.**

_"Thanks, but I doubt it. Even if I did, he would have to survive my brothers and what they put him through. Elijah isn't so bad, but Nik? I don't think he'll ever let me get that close to someone."_

**He will, he just wants to protect you. Besides, older brothers are supposed to torment little sisters; it's their job.**

_"How do you know that? You're an only child."_

**Stefan has recently declared me his little sister and he's been teaming up with your brother lately. That reminds me… I need a partner in crime when everyone is safe and this is over with Davina.**

_"Stefan, would you mind taking Jeremy to the kitchen. Us girls need to talk." _Rebekah asked Stefan.

_"Are you sure it's a good idea to separate right now?" _Stefan asked hesitantly.

**Not right now Rebekah. We need to stick together right now. We can plot against the guys later. I can say I need your help in the bathroom or something. Now I need to burn this paper before anyone knows what we plan.**

Caroline spotted the fireplace and ripped her used papers out to burn them. Rebekah told Stefan that the girls would talk later and that he was right. Bonnie was feeling a little better and could sit up on her own, so they thought it was best to move further into the house. When they were getting up to move, Klaus and Elijah came back into the house.

_"I have just spoken with Davina. She is upset that Marcel has passed through the anchor, but there isn't anything she can do to bring him back now. She may retaliate, but I do not believe she will make her move today; or at least right now. We offered her a deal, but she did not accept it, so I assume she would rather risk her life and magic than deal with us." _Elijah explained to everyone. Klaus looked like he was losing control of his temper, but he remained silent. _"I have been informed of the change in accommodations again, so your room will be ready shortly. The coven outside will remain on the grounds until Davina has been dealt with."_

_"I have an idea Elijah." _Bonnie spoke quickly.

_"Yes Miss Bennett?"_

_"I'm the anchor now; she can't do anything to me. If it comes to it, I can stop her and pull her through after."_

_"We're hoping it doesn't come to that. She's still very young and I would hate to end her life at her age. The witches decided to strip her powers. It is easier than trying to finish the harvest for them and she would be a normal human girl. She could start over and have a different live than she was given. However, Miss Bennett, if it comes to it you have my permission to do what you have to do to protect everyone."_

_"You have mine as well Bonnie."_

**Couldn't you get hurt? What about the babies?**

_"The babies are fine Caroline, and she can't hurt me or the babies while they're inside me. The only pain I would have is if she died and went through me. It's my job now; no matter how much it hurts." _Bonnie explained and Caroline pulled her into a hug. When did everything get so complicated? Why was this happening to them all? Hasn't everything so far been enough for one lifetime? Would all this danger and pain never end? If this was what life had in store for the rest of her life, Caroline didn't want it. Caroline ducked her head on Bonnie's shoulders so her hair would cover her face and hide her tears. Rebekah noticed and offered to take the girls upstairs to rest in her room until later and the guys quickly agreed. Rebekah led them upstairs to her suite and sat down on the sofa in her room. Bonnie went to lie down in the bed and Caroline sat next to Rebekah. Bonnie wanted to sleep for a bit, so it left time for Caroline to talk to Rebekah.

The girls watched silently until Bonnie fell asleep almost instantly. When they were sure she was out, Rebekah lit some sage to soundproof the room. She knew Caroline would want to talk without anyone else hearing.

_"Here, use this. It's faster than having to write and I know you can type fast."_

**Thanks, although I was getting tired of the laptop at the last house, I welcome this one.**

_"It's alright. Now, what did you want to talk about or have you thought of something new?"_

**Both, but I'll start with the new first. Is Davina the last threat here or is there a line?**

_"She's the only one for now, but there will probably be someone come along every now and then on a power trip that wants to challenge my family. You and Stephen should be in the clear for a while after Davina too. Bonnie will be the anchor still, so I think her life isn't going to get easy anytime soon. Why are you asking me this?"_

**I just wanted to know if this was how it's always going to be. It's been nothing but pain and danger the last couple years and I don't know if I can stand it much longer. I don't know how all of you have done it for a thousand years.**

_"Well some of us were in a box from time to time, but it isn't always like this. There are good times ahead for everyone eventually; well hopefully soon. Don't even think about giving up yet Caroline Forbes. You're the only one worth fighting with around here besides Nik."_

**Speaking of your brother, that leads me to the other thing I wanted to talk about; well him and Stephen anyway. They teamed up to tease me earlier and I want to prank them. I would like it if you helped me. They wouldn't see it coming if we acted like we did at school, and we both need the back-up against them since they're working together.**

_"So what did you have in mind?"_

**I have a couple ideas, but I want to wait until we know what Davina is going to do or what happens. There's one more thing I want your help with and I think you're the only one that will listen.**

_"What is it?"_

**Okay so let me finish before you cut me off.**

_"Okay, just tell me."_

**Okay well I was thinking when I was on the plane and was talking to Bonnie. She named me the godmother of her twins, and all I could think about was Haley. She managed to get pregnant by Tyler using a spell because he was a hybrid. That means he was a werewolf too; the same as your brother. Help me convince your brother that he doesn't want me so he has a chance to have his own family. I'm a vampire and it'll never be possible for me. You know your brother thought about having children when he thought he got Haley pregnant. He could find someone he liked that could carry children and the spell Hayley used and have the life you and Elijah wanted for him; the life I want for him. Please help me do this. Stefan wouldn't side with me on this and I know it. Bonnie and Jeremy don't need me being a danger magnet around their kids, and I don't belong here. You know that. You never liked me and Elijah doesn't even know me really. So if you help me, you finally get to be rid of me. I'll go away somewhere and none of you will have to see or hear from me again. Or you could just kill me. I really don't try anymore and if I keep trying I'll lose my humanity. Just help me do this.**

_"Okay listen to me Caroline. I didn't interrupt you on the million points I wanted to, so now it's my turn. Why would you even suggest that? Do you know that Nik didn't even want that kid to begin with because you weren't the mother? When we finally got him to accept the fact that there was a child on the way, he started to accept the child, but he still despised that wolf bitch. Do you really think he's going to go off and find somebody besides you that he will actually tolerate? No, my brother loves you and I don't hate you. I was jealous of you. You had friends, your mother, my brother chasing after you, a boyfriend; you had school and all your activities. I wanted that; so I was a bitch to you, but if you think I would stand by and let you sacrifice everything because you think you're not what needs then you're crazy. Caroline, if anything, I will try to talk some sense into your head. Do you know what my brother would do if something happened to you or you disappeared? There would be hell on earth; nowhere and no one would be safe from him. He doesn't want someone else and he doesn't want to lose you so he can go have bloody pups. At least let him prove that to you._

**I know his feelings Rebekah. I care about him too. That's why I'm willing to give him up before I ever know what it's like to be with him. He looked so sad earlier when he said he wished I would know what it what like to be a mother and that it was one thing he couldn't give me. I know that since Haley used that spell with Tyler and Klaus found out he wasn't the father that he already missed that possibility. I can't take that possibility away from him.**

_"My brother doesn't want kids if they aren't with you Caroline. You are being so bloody difficult. You and Nik are so much alike."_

**If I got money every time someone said that this week I'd be rolling in the dough.**

_"Well it's the bloody truth. Now listen to me. I want you to go talk to my brother right now. I'll watch Bonnie, and Elijah is more than capable of keeping Jeremy and Stefan entertained for a little while. Don't even reach for that computer Caroline Forbes; just go talk to my brother."_

Caroline nodded defeated and stood. Rebekah put the sage out. She didn't need the room soundproof anymore. Caroline took her time leaving the room, but with one last look at a determined Rebecca, she walked out the door. She didn't know her way around so, she tried to listen in. She could hear Jeremy and Stephen downstairs coming from the area she guessed was the kitchen. Then she listened for Klaus. She heard him and Elijah coming from somewhere on the floor above her, so she quietly searched them out. She didn't want to interrupt in case they were discussing something important, so she listened in on them. She only stayed long enough to learn what spell Kol had sent Elijah to retrieve before she retraced her steps as silently as she could to the stairs. She didn't want to be around anyone, so she searched for an empty room on the third floor away from Klaus and Elijah. When she found one that looked vacant, she went inside the closet to the chair inside and fell asleep crying.


	12. Chapter 12

**Klaus and Elijah POV**

_"Brother, what did you want to show me?"_

_"Well Niklaus, it's a bit hard to believe, but it's the spell Kol sent me after. I haven't proven its validity yet, but I do not believe our brother would have sent me after it, had it not been genuine. Take a look." _Elijah explained and handed his brother the paper. After reading through it, Klaus put the paper on the table in front of him.

_"Do you realize what this is? Where did you find it?"_

_"Yes, I realize what it could do. I found it in the Appalachian Mountains. Does that place have any significance?"_

_"It's where Tyler went to in order to break the sire bond to me. It's where he met Haley."_

_"So, this could be the spell that Haley used to get pregnant by Tyler?"_

_"I would say that this is the same spell."_

_"Kol said it would be important. I never thought he would send me to the fertility spell that Haley used on Tyler." _Elijah stated in deep thought. Neither of them saw or heard Caroline coming to the door. When she heard the spell they were discussing, she left.

_"This isn't just a fertility spell. This works on vampires. That means all of us could have our own families if we wished it."_

_"Yes, it appears so. That's why Kol said it had to be protected. I will keep it locked up and call Terri to prove its validity before we discuss this with the others."_

_"That sounds like a good idea Elijah. I also have something I need to find out. Would one of the witches outside know about werewolf mates? Maybe even how that would apply to me being a hybrid?"_

_"Perhaps, but why are you asking me this unless… you think Miss Forbes is your mate?"_

_"I think she is but I want to be sure before I tell her my suspicions. If she is and this spell is real, then I will tell her and let her consider everything. Stefan said she is going to try to push me away because Haley manage to conceive a child with Tyler and Caroline will believe I have that chance with someone that's not a vampire. This here could prove differently. She won't chance me passing up this opportunity when she believes she can't do it herself. She'll run and I can't let her do that Elijah."_

_"I would help you brother, but do you think this would be all it takes? Wouldn't it be too much for her right now? I can't imagine her wanting a child anytime soon."_

_"That's not the point Elijah. I wouldn't suggest using it anytime soon. We aren't even in a relationship right now, but I was close before the memory transfer. I know what she thought about before the spell. She thought I wouldn't want her and would think I wasted my time after the spell was complete. She barely looks me in the eye Elijah; I don't know what to do to convince her that everything is the same as before. The only differences are that I know more about her and I feel more for her than ever before. That's all she thought about when I kissed her and she was in my head. I had seen her crying and thought I hurt her on accident, but it wasn't that. She thought I wouldn't love her after seeing her life. I know she loves me too, but she doesn't know it. She feels it, but she doesn't know what she's feeling exactly."_

_"Have you thought about how you're going to get her to realize it?"_

_"Yes, and I think she'll understand when she see it from my perspective. That's another thing I wanted to ask you. I need the same memory transfer spell that was used on Caroline, used on myself; only I need to limit it to where I first met Caroline continuing until the time when the spell is done in the future. Which witch would you recommend?"_

_"I think I know one that could do it. When would you want to do it?"_

_"Directly after the situation with Davina is resolved. I don't need to put anyone at risk while doing this spell, and everyone is still at risk right now. Just inform the witch of what I need done and have her prepare the spell. I'll tell Caroline what we're going to do."_

_"Alright Niklaus. Go and tell Caroline and I will tell the witch." _Elijah stated as Klaus walked towards the door. If he had paid attention, he would have noticed Caroline's scent outside the door, but she had been close to him all day, so he didn't catch it.

**Klaus and Rebekah POV **

Klaus walked down the stairs to the level he would find Rebekah's room and knocked on her door. Rebekah opened and saw him alone, so she didn't know what to expect.

_"Sister, I need to speak with Caroline a moment. Is she awake?"_

_"You haven't seen her?"_

_"No, where is she?"_

_"She left to talk to you a little while ago. Where were you?"_

_"I was upstairs talking to Elijah?"_

_"She must've not known where to look. She could be with the guys downstairs, but I didn't hear her pass the door." _She said and then they focused their hearing on the guys. Rebekah blurred downstairs and back to Klaus quickly. _"She's not with them. Where could she be? Could she have overheard you and Elijah talking?"_

_"I don't think so, but it's possible. Let's check upstairs on this level and then upstairs." _He instructed before they blurred through all of the rooms on the second level and headed to the third floor. Klaus checked the room he and Elijah had been in before but she wasn't there. When he went to leave the room he noticed her scent was close to the door and led past the stairs to the other end of the house. That side was mostly empty rooms, so he couldn't figure out why her scent would go that way. He saw a door opened and entered, immediately going to the closet he saw open. When he got there he saw Rebekah who put her finger up to keep him quiet. They walked back into the hallway before Rebekah spoke.

_"She's sleeping. What were you and Elijah talking about?"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because whatever it was I think she heard it; or at least part of it. She's been crying. Her eyes are still wet and her cheeks are covered in dry tear stains. So, I'll ask again… What the bloody hell were you and Elijah talking about?"_

_"Before Elijah came back, Kol sent him to the Appalachian Mountains to retrieve a spell. We started off talking about it and then we moved on to the possibility of her being my mate since I'm a hybrid, and lastly, we talked about doing a memory transfer so Caroline will know every thought I've had about her so she believes that I want her."_

_"Okay well the last 2 topics would freak anybody out, but I don't think she would be crying about them. Does she know about them?"_

_"She already knows my intentions about the memory transfer and agreed to it, so I know it's not that. Before I do that, I'm going to have a witch determine if she's my mate so I can tell her, but I think it's the spell Kol sent Elijah after. It has to be something to do with that, but it should make her happy, not hiding so she can cry."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Elijah and I are not discussing it until we prove its validity, but I believe it's real since Kol sent us to it. It seems to be the fertility spell Hayley used on Tyler."_

_"That's what she had to have heard. That's why I sent her to talk to you. She wanted my help to convince you that she was the wrong girl for you, so you could have children."_

_"But the spell isn't limited to just hybrids and wolves. It's for vampires."_

_"She wouldn't run away if she heard that. She must have not heard that part. You have to tell her about it. She thinks it's only possible for you to have a family, and being with her would take that away from you. She doesn't want you to give that up for her."_

_"But I don't have to. The spell is for all vampires who you use it to have the ability to conceive. That includes her."_

_"I understand that Nik, but maybe she didn't hear that part. How did you react initially?"_

_"A little shocked, but as I read further I was happy."_

_"If she saw you happy and didn't know the vampire part, she just lost all hope and left. She probably won't talk to anyone now. Nice going Nik."_

_"I didn't know she was watching. Bloody hell, I'll show her the entire spell so it'll clear this mess up."_

_"She won't listen to you Nik. She probably thinks you'd tell her anything to believe you."_

_"What about you or Elijah or even Stephen? She's got to listen to one of you."_

_"I doubt it Nik but I can try. Where is the spell?"_

_"In the safe in Elijah's study."_

_"I don't know his combination. Do you?"_

_"Of course I do. I'll get it. You stay here and make sure she doesn't go anywhere."_

_"Hurry Nik; she might wake up." _He said quickly as he blurred back to Elijah's study. He opened the safe and retrieved the spell that held his world in its hands. If Caroline didn't think she was taking something away from him, wouldn't that make her open back up a little but? Would it be enough? He blurred back to find Rebekah waiting for him. He handed her the paper and went to get Bonnie. He and Rebekah knew Latin, but he knew Caroline wouldn't be able to read the whole thing, and she probably wouldn't believe his translation.

_"Bonnie, I hate to disturb you, but I need your help. Caroline overheard part of a conversation I was having with Elijah, but I believe she didn't hear the whole thing. I need you to come upstairs and translate a spell to English for her. She won't believe it if Rebekah or I translate it for her. Rebekah will help you keep her in the room." _He said as he led her upstairs to the room Caroline was sleeping in. _"Rebekah will wake her up. Tell her I don't know how much she overheard, but I doubt she heard the whole thing. The spell is with Rebekah now, so don't do anything to it but translate. "_

_"Fine let me through to so this._

**Bonnie, Rebekah, and Caroline POV**

Rebekah moved Caroline slowly, trying not to wake her as she moved behind her. She knew Caroline would resist listening after she saw what they were going to translate and explain.

_"Care, I need you to wake up. I have something to read to you. Come on Caroline. Wake up Care!" _Bonnie finally snapped and Caroline rose from her sleep. She tried to move, but saw Rebecca restraining her. She looked back to Bonnie for an explanation when she saw the spell Klaus and Elijah were talking about earlier. Her eyes watered, but she refused to cry in front of them.

_"Care I can tell you've seen this by the look on your face. Do you know what it is?" _Bonnie asked as she gave a small nod in return. _"Do you know what it does?" _Another nod. _"Everything it does?" _Bonnie asked curiously. Caroline only gave a shrug before she tried to get away again, but Rebekah held tight. _"Caroline, listen. I'm going to translate and explain this paper. Rebekah can tell you if I change anything, but I won't. I don't even know what this is. I got woke up because you didn't stick around during an eavesdropping session." _Caroline just looked at her defeated. Bonnie skimmed through the spell so she would know what to prepare herself for, but she couldn't help the look of shock on her face. _"Caroline this is a fertility spell." _When Caroline didn't appear shocked, she decided to further elaborate. _"For vampires. This spell lets vampires have children." _Bonnie explained and noticed to look of shock on her face before she relaxed against Rebekah.

_"Caroline, they haven't proved that the spell is genuine yet, but they believe it is. Kol wouldn't have sent them to find it if it wasn't. They wanted to be sure before they told anyone. I just found out about it too. Bonnie? Thank you for explaining it, but could you give me a minute. I need to tell her something."_

_"Sure, I'm going back to bed, but first I need to tell you that this spell is real. I can feel the magic attached to it. It's very powerful, so if you ever use it, make sure the witch is fully rested and strong."_

_"Thank you Bonnie. Would you mind repeating that to my brother and telling him to spread the news to Elijah and I guess Stefan too since he's a vampire, but no further. We don't need this getting out and having a new war on our hands." _Rebekah requested. Bonnie nodded and told Caroline she would talk to her later. _"Now, can I trust you not to run? I don't want to keep sitting under you and I need to talk to you." _Caroline nodded and lifted herself enough for Rebekah to slide out from under her. _"Let's talk in my room. It's more convenient and private than here." _Caroline nodded and followed. She picked up on the sound coming from downstairs and knew everyone was down there.

**Rebekah's Room**

_"Okay Caroline, grab the computer, and let's talk."_

_ "I think I can whisper full sentences. If I get tired I'll type again, but I want my voice back, so I might as well start practicing now." She whispered._

_"Okay, well is there anything besides the spell that got you upset?"_

_"Sort of; I don't think I want kids anymore."_

_"Why ever not?"_

_"Do you not see what our lives are like? I'm a freaking danger magnet even when you guys aren't around. What makes you think I would even consider putting a child through that? What guarantee is there that the child would survive or not be born evil or something?"_

_"Okay well Kol told Elijah that it would be important for all of us; including you and Stefan. Now, do you really think my brother would want to willingly have a child when there was danger around; or you in danger?"_

_"No."_

_"Okay. If the child were to be evil, why would the witch's create the spell? They side with nature and try to keep the balance. Vampires aren't part of the balance, but what if having children made them part of the balance? What if they were part of the balance just by being born? We weren't born evil or monsters. It's our actions that define us. Yes, we've all done monstrous acts, but we're not always like that. You've seen how terrible we can be, but you've not allowed Nik to show you how great we can be too."_

_"I know you can be great. I've seen humanity in him. I've told him I've seen it."_

_"So, do you really think that you would have a child born evil?"_

_"No, but it's a possibility. I don't even want to think about this anytime soon. I'm not even with your brother, and you're acting like we're talking about fertility shots or something."_

_"I'm not trying to pressure you; I promise. But, it is an option for you. You can be a mother in the future. Whether Nik will be the father of that child or not is entirely up to you. I'm rooting for my brother, but you're not being forced into this."_

_"Then why is everyone pushing me?"_

_"They're trying to watch out for you and giving their opinions. Let me ask you something… what do you feel for my brother exactly?"_

_"Exactly? I don't know. I care about him. I want him to be happy. I don't want to hurt him anymore. I don't want him to terrorize people, but I know he can't ever fully stop that. He's trying to protect his family, so I know he'll do anything to do that. I'm no better; I killed 12 witch's to save Bonnie, 2 deputies to save Stefan and Damon from my mother when Mason exposed them, and a guy who I ran into at the carnival when I was newly turned. I'm not a saint; I don't pretend to be. I know I'm not what he needs Rebekah. I'm 19 stuck in a 17 year old body while he's a thousand years old; what would I ever be able to give him or do for him that he needs?"_

_"Isn't it obvious?"_

_"What's obvious?"_

_"You."_

_"What?"_

_"Believe me or not, but I believe you love my brother. And I answered YOU to your question. Is that so hard?"_

_"No, it would be really easy to do that right now, but I'm not going to be enough. He'll see that one day and then what? What happens then?"_

_"Nik knows what he wants. If he didn't by now, I would think something was wrong with him. He gave up a long time ago on love, but you brought that back to him. Imagine what he'd be like with you for a minute. He would be happy all of the time, and I would see a side of my brother that I haven't seen in a thousand years. He's hardly had any real happiness in his life, so I think he wouldn't ever even consider letting you go. Besides, you never know until you try or do or whatever the saying is."_

_"I just need time to figure things out without everybody else bearing down on me. I never thought I'd see the day I had you, Bonnie, and Stefan all but begging me to give into him. Not to mention Kol gave me a lot to think about. I feel like the focus has shifted from Elena to me and it's weird. I used to complain because Elena got everything without even trying and now I feel everyone hovering to see if I'm alright. It's driving me insane. Maybe that's why she became crazy and led Stefan and Damon both along; she had everybody there with her all of the time."_

_"I hate to tell you… but wait… no I don't. Elena has been crazy since I've known her. She just hid how she really was. There was a reason I never liked her and it wasn't just because of Stefan being hooked on her. She's just like the previous doppelgangers. They all acted nice and innocent, but they were all manipulators and liars. I can't believe you lot saved Katherine. As long as she keeps her distance and behaves herself, I won't do anything to her, but I'll be waiting for it."_

_"I think she will do better now. She's been given a second chance to be better. I was the one she asked to call Elijah the night Tyler and Lily attacked me. I was on the phone with Klaus when it happened."_

_"I knew that. My brothers explained it to me before they left. I thought it was a plot against us at first, but it was true."_

_"I don't blame you for thinking that. It's not like you know me for anything else but being a distraction."_

_"Well I wouldn't say that, but don't do it again."_

_"I haven't been the distraction for a while now, and the last time I saw your brother before he came back to save me was at graduation. I invited him with no hidden agendas and he ended up saving all of us from witches, and Damon from werewolf venom, but none of that was staged or planned; it just happened."_

_"I know. Nik does tell me a few things. I ended up saving Matt that day too."_

_"Yea and then you took him to Europe for the summer. That was nice of you."_

_"Yes, but I had hoped he would change his mind about me at the end of the summer. He didn't so I'm not lingering on it."_

_"You know, I think I'm not the only one that has to worry about people pushing her into a relationship she has no idea what to think about it."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Stefan."_

_"Oh no you don't Caroline; I don't think so. Why would you even think that?"_

_"Every time your name has been mentioned recently, Stefan and Klaus look at each other. Plus I think Kol said something to them. Stefan has been a little broody lately."_

_"Yea well, we'll see who tries to push first. Or should I say second since you've brought it up?"_

_"I'm not pushing you Rebekah. I'm just letting you know my suspicions and what I've observed."_

_"I'll keep my eyes and ears open. Thanks for the ehads up."_

_"No problem. Do you think you could tell everyone that I just want to sleep so I can't get some peace until tomorrow?"_

_"Yea, but there's one more thing I'm debating about telling you. I don't know if I should or not because it might freak you out."_

_"What is it now Rebekah?"_

_"Well, Nik wanted to investigate before he told you anything definitive, so I think I should keep quiet. I don't want daggered for the next century."_

_"He said he gave you and Elijah the last dagger."_

_"He did, but I'm not pushing my luck. Just be patient. He should know sometime this week and then he'll tell you. I have a pretty good guess at how it's going to turn out in his investigation, so just relax. It's something good and helpful, so don't panic when he tells you."_

_"I don't like surprises Rebekah."_

_"Okay, first just call me Bekah when we're alone. It's a mouthful and I feel like you can call me that by now. Just keep up my full name outside this room so they guys don't know we teamed up against them. Second, I will let you find out. It's not bad or a gift or anything. It might help you with Nik though. Again, I'm not pushing, but it may explain a lot to you."_

_"Now I'm worried."_

_"Don't be, but lie down and get some sleep. I'll keep everyone away tonight, but tomorrow you'll be in your own room. Good night; even though it's still technically evening."_

_"Goodnight Bekah."_


	13. Chapter 13

**Living Room/Mini Bar**

_"Okay everybody, Caroline is going to sleep and does not want to be disturbed until morning unless it is an emergency. She's also managed to get some of her voice back, even though I think it still hurts her. She was able to carry out the entire conversation we had in a whisper, so I say its improvement." _Rebekah announced as she marched into the living room.

_"Is she okay?" _Klaus asked looking defeated.

_"She's better, but I will speak to you about it later. For now, I'd say we need to get everybody situated in their rooms. Since Caroline is in my room for the night, I'm taking hers. We'll switch back in the morning, but she wanted some alone time. Might I add that you lot are hovering over the poor girl too much. When Kol said to help her, did he say to drive her insane?"_

_"What are talking about Rebekah?" _Klaus asked and Stefan stepped forward wanting to know the answer himself.

_"What do you think it means Nik? She's had everybody crowding her and giving her opinions on what she should or shouldn't do. Now, tell me… how does Caroline normally do things?"_

_"She does them alone, but if she has a question or wants someone's opinion, she asks." _Bonnie said. _"A lot of times she usually calls to rant about a subject, but figures it out during a rant. I've done that with her a bunch of times. Why?"_

_"Now does that sound like what she's done this week to any of you?" _Rebekah asked as everyone shook their head no. _"Back off of her or you will push her too far and she'll snap. Now, I know you were supposed to monitor her to help he control her urges, but I think she's about in control of them again. I didn't see her snapping at Bonnie or Jeremy's necks earlier. I know she has some work to do keeping her switch on, but you're not helping her getting her so emotional. Let her do things her way and back off."_

_"What do you suggest we do Rebekah? Are we supposed to ignore her and hope she gets better?"_

_"No Nik, I'm saying let her feel some peace for a little while. When she's ready to do things, she'll do them. Let her set her own pace and make her own choices. Now, if everyone understands, Nik I need to speak to you privately." _She commanded and walked out of the living room and to his room of the third floor. She smirked as she passed the door to the room Caroline had disappeared to earlier; it was right next to her brother and designated for her to use the next day. She opened the door to her brother's room and got the sage ready for their conversation.

**Klaus and Rebekah's POV**

_"Okay little sister, what do you want to tell me that you have to light sage to do so?"_

_"Close the door and find out Nik." _Klaus closed the door and leaned across its frame. _"Okay, so I wanted to add on to what I told everyone downstairs, but I didn't know who you had told your suspicions too, so I didn't want to have to let you explain it over again."_

_"Which suspicions?"_

_"About Caroline being your mate. She's not ready to know that kind of information."_

_"She'll know it with the memory transfer. Elijah has a witch that can do it when we get the mess with Davina straightened out. He also asked one of the witches that he trusts to find information on mates. I will find out if she is before I give her my memories. I have no doubt that she is my mate is those rituals still apply to me. And when I find out she is, I want her to know I've loved her since before I knew. That what I feel is real and it's not going to go away. I've told Stefan, Elijah, and you. Bonnie knows I love her and has actually been one of the ones she's talked to. I wish I knew and had all the answers, but I don't yet. I can't do anything without some kind of proof for her. Can you really blame her for doubting me? I am just one of the people who have terrorized her. I have her memories Rebekah. Yes, she felt a pull and attraction, but she fought it. She was scared of me Rebekah and I don't blame her. Do you want to know one of the reasons she initially ran from my attentions? She knew better later, but the first fear of me was that I would hurt her like Damon did. I'm not going to tell you; too many people know already and she doesn't like anyone knowing. But let me tell you the similarities she saw. New guy comes to town with an agenda and notices her. New bad guy tries to show her an interest in her instead of Elena. Do you want to know the difference? I didn't keep her under my control with compulsion for a period of time. I've not compelled her even once."_

_"Bloody hell, what did he do to her? Wait a minute… compulsion… Damon got a hold of her when she was human. Oh my god! I think I'm going to be sick."_

_"Try having her memories from that time. I want to kill him, but she made me agree he wouldn't die because he's Stefan's brother. Stefan found out and he no longer claims him as a brother."_

_"Is that why he's claiming Caroline as a sister?"_

_"No, he said he felt like she was his sister before he found out."_

_"They act like they are. And what is I hear about you two teasing her or something?"_

_"When?"_

_"She said something about shopping and then you two teasing her."_

_"Oh that." _ He gave a small guilty laugh and scratched his head. _"Well Stefan thought shopping would cheer her up and give her some practice with her hunger, and she didn't want to go. So, after she picked out what she wanted, she handed everything to him and made him check out while I took her next door to get her notepad. She had set him up to deal with a female clerk at the register that she noticed checking Stefan out. So, Stefan thought it would be funny to play back and say some innuendos that included me. I played along, although I didn't mind what they meant. We got two jaw drops out of her and a glare. Is she still upset about that?"_

_"I wouldn't say upset, but she didn't figure she would have both of you to go against at the same time."_

_"Well, it did get her mind off of her mother's funeral for a few minutes, so it partly worked. And, she didn't eat anybody. That reminds me, she needs a blood bag. Since you have forbidden me from going near her tonight would you please take her one when we're done?"_

_"Don't you think she would get one herself if she wanted one?"_

_"Maybe, but I don't want her to do without if she doesn't need to. She's been in pain lately, so you know she's bound to need more blood."_

_"Maybe so, but she would get some if she wanted it. When was the last time she fed?"_

_"Right before we got on the plane."_

_"Nik, even I know the girl was only living off one and sometimes two blood bags a day. She doesn't indulge in blood like everyone else does. There is a chance that she could lose control and she loves to be in control of herself. She will probably always be like that after everything she's been through. If she only wants to drink enough to be content, then that's her choice. She's seen Stefan after you made him a ripper again, Damon, and even Elena when she had her humanity turned off. She knows she doesn't want that. Bloody hell, she said she would rather die than lose her humanity."_

_"I figured that, but when did she tell you that?"_

_"When I was with her earlier. That's what everyone is pushing her too. Hell, even after we cleared up the misunderstanding about the spell, she said she doesn't want children. She said she was a danger magnet and she wouldn't put a child in danger like that."_

_"Rebekah, what have you done now?"_

_"Nothing Nik. I just let her talk and then gave my opinion. I didn't push her and even told her I was out of everything. I told her that everything she did what ultimately her decision, but that I was rooting for you."_

_"You gave her a baby talk involving me Rebekah. What were you thinking? She's going to avoid me more now. I'll be luck y if she talks to me any time during the next century."_

_"It won't even take her a day or two. Besides, I got her to tell me what she feels about you, and I told her something she didn't expect, but she's considering. She has to figure out the extent on her own, so don't bother her. Go paint or plan or something; better yet, get some sleep."_

_"I don't know whether to thank you or be worried."_

_"I'll take the thank you later, but don't worry. Everything will be fine."_

_"You better talk to Stefan and make sure he understands why we have to dull down the monitoring. He told me to keep at her until she saw my feelings and hers."_

_"That was true at first. Now that she sees, she has to analyze it, and she can't do that if you all are distracting her. Now I'm going to go get a drink and then I'm going to bed in Caroline's room since she stole mine for the night. Goodnight Nik, you're welcome."_

_"Goodnight Rebekah."_ He replied tiredly as she walked out the door. Stefan appeared a minute later and he explained what Rebekah had instructed in a very short version. He didn't feel like going over everything again when they also had Davina hanging over their heads. He didn't even see a point in staying in New Orleans, but he wouldn't leave his family there unless it was safe for them. He would have to talk to Elijah again before he did anything. He didn't want to rule the city unless Caroline would be with him at his side. Maybe they could all switch out duties over a period of time. So, with that thought in mind, he told Stefan he would see him the next morning and that he needed to talk to his brother before he could go to bed.

**Elijah and Klaus POV (With a guest pov added later)**

_"Elijah, may I have a word with you?"_

_"Yes Niklaus, have a seat. What did you want to discuss."_

_"I realized that this city is not as important to me as it once was. When we have secured the safety and status of our family and Caroline is better, I want to propose a deal. I once offered to show Caroline the world and I plan to start when she is ready for me to do so. I don't know how long it will take for her to agree with me, so this may not come to pass for a while, but I would like to know how you felt about alternating leadership between you, Bekah, and me. We could decide how long the leadership would last when the time comes, but I don't want it to be just me. When everything is sorted, I would like for you to start the ruling process. Then me or Bekah, and then the other."_

_"Are you sure this is what you want? What happened to being king?"_

_"I don't need it. I have my family, and a future full of possibilities. Caroline is one of those possibilities and I don't know what she is going to choose, but I doubt she would want me to ask her to choose me and have to deal with a city while she's only been a vampire for about 2 years. She needs to see the world and learn more about herself and me before I can ask her something like that. Hopefully Bekah will want to rule for the second term to give Caroline more time, but I don't know. This is something we will all discuss in the future when the time comes."_

_"Very well Niklaus; I will support your decision. Might I ask what all happened earlier with Miss Forbes?"_

_"She overheard some of what we were discussing with the fertility spell, but she didn't hear the whole thing and didn't know it for vampires. Rebekah and Bonnie explained it to her and I informed Stefan. I didn't want to break the news until we knew it was real, but Bonnie confirmed it earlier. The spell is valid, but powerful. Whatever witch works it has to be strong and fully prepared for the energy that has to be used. She doesn't see herself with a child right now, and I can understand that, but it's something that is now an option for her in the future. Now, did you talk to your witch about mates?"_

_"Yes, actually I found someone who knows an impressive amount about werewolves and their mates, and she knows how to check to see if a pair is mates. She has knowledge of vampires too, so I trust her opinion. She believes you would be capable of having a mate because you are part wolf, but your vampire side leaves the option open for another vampire to be your mate. She is willing to test your connection whenever you like and it won't take much of her energy to do so. Would you like me to call her up here?"_

_"What does she need to do it?"_

_"I would imagine she would need something that represents each of you, but you will have to ask her to be sure."_

_"Ask her before you bring her in here. No sense wasting a trip if I can't get what she needs tonight." _Klaus replied as Elijah pulled out his phone and called the witch. When Klaus heard her say blood, he focused on Elijah.

_"Would be able to get a small amount of her blood?"_

_"Let me ask her and you can call the witch back." _Klaus said as he headed out of the room and down to the next level. He was going against what Caroline asked of everybody, but he hoped she wouldn't mind. He knocked on her door lightly and heard her shuffle to the door.

_"What is it? Is everybody ok?" _She whispered.

_"Yes, everyone is fine. I have a favor I need to ask of you. Do you mind if I come in for a moment and I'll leave you alone until you want me around?"_

_"Fine; come in."_

_"It's good to hear you talk again; even if it's only whispers. Anyway, I won't keep you long. Elijah has a witch that is going to be helping us with something and I need something from you."_

_"What is she working on?"_

_"Well it's a surprise. You'll find out when we do the memory transfer. Elijah has another witch working on limiting it to a certain time frame to make it easier on you to sort through. But, that's not why I'm here. I need a small vial of your blood, if you're willing to give it."_

_"Why do you need my blood?"_

_"Because I'm doing this spell to find out something that could be important and I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary."_

_"It doesn't have anything to do with the spell from earlier does it?"_

_"No, I wouldn't use that without you knowing about it and being fully behind it." _He explained as she looked down. Then she grabbed the empty water bottle she had used earlier and ripped the top off. She turned around to hide her face and let her fangs drop. She bit into her wrist and the smell of her blood floated through the room. He remembered how her blood smelled and what it tasted like from the night he bit her. He had to keep his hybrid features from coming out as she turned around and handed him the cup.

_"Is that enough?"_

_"It should be. I didn't want to disturb you, so I'll leave you be. Get some rest. If you need anything, do you remember the room you went to earlier?"_

_"Yes."_

_"I'm the room right next to it. Rebekah is in the room you disappeared in earlier because it was intended to be your room and you have hers for the night. Your stuff will arrive in the morning, so she'll let you know when it does and you can put your stuff where you want it. However, I will have the furniture stored in one of the empty buildings here until you decide what you want to do with everything."_

_"Okay. Thank you. Don't take this the wrong way, but why is my room right next door to yours when there are 3 floors in this house alone?"_

_"I wanted you to be close in case of an emergency, or in case you had anything you needed help with you wouldn't be far." He explained as he looked to her nervously. "If you want a different room you can choose one; I just figured it would best for you." He added a little sadly, hoping she wouldn't change rooms._

_"It's fine Klaus. Besides, it's your house; you decide."_

_"It's your house too now; and Stefan's, Bonnie's, and Jeremy's. I have something else I want to talk to you about, but it can wait until everything settles down and you're more comfortable being here."_

_"I'm not sure I could get used to this place. It's huge and the designs are so different from the ones back home. Not to mention, I would have to be careful who I came in contact with since the people in this town know about the supernatural. It's all just so different."_

_"Good different or bad?"_

_"I don't know yet. Maybe both."_

_"Well, you have time to figure it out better. If you don't like it here, I will take you anywhere you want to go. All you have to do is ask."_

_"You can't just leave. You just got what you wanted. You're at the top of the ladder here and there are things you have to do."_

_"Well that was kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, but I have to talk with Rebekah first. I've already discussed the matter with Elijah and have his support, and after Rebekah makes a decision, we will be telling all of you."_

_"Okay; sounds fair."_

_"Do you want to do something tomorrow? Just the two of us?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"I will be a perfect gentleman the whole time. I just wanted to show you something and it's not far."_

_"When?"_

_"Just whenever you are free. Although, I suggest it would be during daylight."_

_"What time will my stuff be here in the morning?"_

_"About 8:00."_

_"Alright, I'll meet you in the hallway at 2:00 p.m. I want to get everything up and get ready. I doubt you're going to tell me where we're going so what type of outfit should I wear?"_

_"Something casual that you can move in comfortably."_

_"Will there be dirt involved?"_

_"Possibly, so don't wear something you love."_

_"Fine; I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight Klaus."_

_"Goodnight love." _Klaus replied as he moved her hair behind her ear and quickly kissed her forehead and left her room. Every part of him was screaming at him to turn around and go back to her, but he needed to let the witch tell him an answer to his question. When he returned to Elijah's study, he saw a woman he hadn't seen before and Elijah introduced him.

_"Niklaus, this is Gail. She is the one I was on the phone with. Did she give you her blood?" Elijah asked. _Klaus said nothing as he handed him the cup with her blood.

_"I will need your blood as well."_

_"What do you want me to put it in?" _he asked. She pointed to one of the bowls of the table that had been set up. He bit his wrist and held it over the bowl until Gail told him there was enough._ Then, she poured Caroline's blood into the bowl next to his. She dipped each of her hands into the separate bowls and closed her eyes. She began chanting quietly as Klaus and Elijah watched the blood rise out of the separate bowls and into the large bowl set above the two smaller ones. When she stopped chanting, all of the blood had mixed in the large bowl and the two smaller bowls looked as if there had never been any blood in them at all; the same as her hands. Then she turned to face the two originals and lit some sage in a nearby bowl._

_"I didn't know if you wanted this conversation private or not so I took the liberty into silencing this room from others. The female vampire who gave you her blood is in fact your mate. Your blood would not have joined together during the incantation if you weren't mates. So the theory of a vampire mate for a hybrid was correct. Elijah also informed me about the bloodline situation you were concerned about. I could tell when my hands touch both of your sets of blood that you were connected. So the theory of Katerina's bloodline remaining under you is intact for all the vampires she made before becoming human. I do not know about any future vampires, so I would have to check if you wish to know then."_

_"Thank you Gail." _Klaus said quickly and ran to tell the news to Rebekah and Stefan if they were still awake.

"_Yes, thank you Gail for your help in this matter. Your compensation will be loaded into your account by morning."_

_"Thank you sir." _Gail replied as she departed the house to join the rest of the coven in the outer buildings.

**Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan POV**

_"Rebekah are you awake?" _Klaus asked as he opened the door, but Rebekah wasn't in there. He checked Stefan's room, but he wasn't there either. So, he blurred down to the bar area and spotted them. _"There you two are. Are you two alone down here?"_

_"Nik, what the bloody hell has gotten into you?"_

_"You two follow me and find out." _He said as he blurred to his study on the ground floor and lit sage. _"Shut the door and come here. Okay I was just with Elijah and a witch named Gail. She did a spell to see if Caroline and I were mates. She found out that we were, but that isn't all. Caroline is still a part of my bloodline; which means you are too. So either Katerina's blood would work for you if you needed the same spell or you would have to keep going back from her until you had a link. There are no surviving links between Katerina and me, so my blood would work if hers failed. Gail would be able to test the connection if we needed to. This news decreases the risk to you Stefan, and I received some of the best news of my life. I wanted to share it with you two as soon as I heard."_

_"Wow. I don't even know what to say to that. Wait a minute… yes I do. Don't start trying to claim her like a dog and you'll be okay."_

_"Rebekah!" _Klaus and Stefan said together.

_"Little sister, I am not a dog, I'm part werewolf; Caroline is not either of those so your statement is moot. I want to tell her so badly, but I'm going to wait until the memory transfer. I need to read up on the whole subject anyway, and I'm taking Caroline horseback riding tomorrow as a surprise, so neither of you will speak a word about the being mates or horses."_

_"We won't. I'm sure I don't need to give you another warning, but I will anyway. If you ever hurt her again, I will make you regret it. You better not forget I claimed her as my sister and that means I now have the job to kick your ass or cock block as much as needed."_

_"Stefan mate, I haven't even tried to go that far with her. I know she isn't ready for that and I just want her to be happy. When she's ready though, Stefan, I will make you wish you were dead if you cock block."_

_"Bloody hell! I don't want to know about when my brother will manage to get Caroline that way, so change the subject now or this meeting is over."_

_"Rebekah, we are not going into details on that. She's my sister. Would you want your brother discussing sex with you to a guy?"_

_"Ew no. I'm leaving now. It's hard to sleep in Caroline's room instead of mine, but it's better than listening to this."_

_"Goodnight little sister."_

_"Goodnight Rebekah."_

_"Goodnight and no more surprises until morning."_


	14. Chapter 14

**Next Morning**

Caroline woke up first; she hadn't slept much after Klaus had come to the room she was sleeping in. Her mind was still wondering why he had needed her blood, and her body had been buzzing from him being close to him again. She had to admit he had tried to give her space while he was watching her, but Rebekah must have said something because everyone was letting her be alone. She was enjoying having time to herself. She went into the kitchen and searched around for something to make for breakfast. A maid came in and tried to cook, but Caroline just asked where everything was and she made enough breakfast for everyone before going to the room Klaus said would be hers. She walked in and saw Rebekah still sleeping, so she went to take her up.

_"Rebekah, wake up. I made breakfast."_

_"Caroline? What are you doing in here? What time is it?"_

_"It's just about 7:00 and I made breakfast. We have a lot to do today, so go eat. I have to make the bed; I already made your bed and picked up the rest of the room. So, go eat."_

_"What about everyone else?"_

_"I don't know where everyone else's rooms are except Klaus. I'll wake him up if you wake up Stefan, Elijah, and Katherine, and tell me where Bonnie and Jeremy are."_

_"Deal. Bonnie and Jeremy are on the main floor at the end of the hall on the opposite side of the kitchen."_

_"Okay, I'll get them up first because your brother will probably take more time. Now, let's be quiet and surprise everyone."_

_"When did you get up?"_

_"A while ago. I made breakfast, and cleaned up the messes."_

_"We have maids that are paid to that that."_

_"Well I'm not used to it, and there's nothing wrong with doing stuff yourself."_

_"Fine, just move. I have to get presentable."_

_"Bekah it's breakfast; not a beauty pageant."_

_"I won't go all out and I'll be quick. Go wake Bonnie and Jeremy and I'll be done by then."_

_"Fine." _Caroline finished and blurred downstairs. When she got in the hall, she listened to find their room. She could hear their even sets of breath and knew they were still asleep, so she went in quietly. Thankfully, they were still clothed mostly. Bonnie was on the outside of the bed and Jeremy was on the wall side, so she tried Bonnie first.

_"Bonnie. Bonnie, wake up; I made breakfast. The moving truck will be here soon so you got to get your food in beforehand."_

_"Why do you hate me Care?"_

_"I don't and you know it. I even made you some decaf coffee so you can at least pretend to have your morning java. Come on, and get Jeremy up. Just go to the kitchen and dig in. Your coffee is in the white coffee pot, and the regular coffee is in the black pot. Rebekah is getting Stefan and Elijah up, so hurry."_

_"Alright, go because I don't think you want to see how Jeremy wakes up."_

_"No, I really don't. I'll see in a few minutes; I have to wake Klaus up."_

_"See you in a few." _Bonnie said as Caroline left her room and closed to the door back. Now it was time to wake Klaus up. She didn't really know what to expect waking him up when she was actually in her body. She blurred to his door and opened it quietly. The sun was up by then, but it barely lit his room with the curtains barely open. She could see some of his paintings on the walls, but she shook her head to stay focused. She walked over to the bed and reached her hand out. He was lying on his back with the cover covering him to his waist. She sure hoped he didn't sleep naked, but she couldn't tell so she tried to keep her eyes averted just in case.

_"Klaus, wake…Ahh." _She squeaked when he grabbed her and pin her below him on the other side of the bed.

_"Caroline? What are you doing?"_

_"I was trying to wake you up. The moving truck will be here soon and I made breakfast for everyone. I woke Rebekah, Bonnie, and Jeremy. She's waking up Stefan, Elijah, and Katherine. Now, can you let go of my arms?"_

_"Sure; sorry." _He said as he let go of her arms and moved to his side facing her.

_"Are you not used to getting woke up?"_

_"Not like that. Usually a knock at the door will do it."_

_"Rebekah could have told me that."_

_"She probably didn't think of it. Or she thought about it and thought this would be funnier."_

_"Um well I'm kind of stuck here. Why is your bed enclosed?"_

_"I like it like that."_

_"Please tell me you're wearing clothes because either you have to get out first or I have to crawl over you."_

_"Barely, but yes there is an article of clothing on me. So are you going to crawl over me or do you want me to move?"_

_"By barely, I assume you mean pajama bottoms?"_

_"No, I mean boxers."_

_"Oh well that makes this harder." _He looked at her with a smirk at her comment. _"Oh my god, I didn't mean it like that. THAT better not be showing itself right now."_

_"Sweetheart, it's morning, you woke me up, and now you're in my bed with 2 options to choose from to get out of it."_

_"You could just sit up cross legged and let me crawl out the bottom."_

_"Is that what you want me to do?" _he asked as he sit up and leaned towards her. She gulped and looked towards her escape route. She went to move to it, but he shot his arm out in front of her.

_"What are you doing? I thought you moved so I could get through?"_

_"I did, but you didn't answer me. Am I making you nervous Caroline?"_

_"Everybody is waiting downstairs Klaus. Let me through please."_

_"Why are you so jumpy Caroline?"_

_"I'm not!"_

_"Yes, you are. Which leads me to think that either you're nervous or… something else. So you better clear the confusion love." _He said as he moved his hand to cup her face. She tried to not look at him, but he moved her face in front of his. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. She wouldn't admit it, but she could barely think in their current state, much less answer him. She could feel his breath on her face, but he only kissed her forehead and moved away from her. When she opened her eyes, she saw his bathroom door closing. She bolted out of the bed and into her room. Klaus had gone to run cold water over his face. It had never been so hard to resist her being so close and him barely covered; especially after what he had learned the night before. He didn't know if she would meet him for her surprise now or not, but he would be waiting for her. He had already instructed one of the groundskeepers to set up an area for a picnic; he would take the basket when they rode down.

Caroline kept herself braced against her bedroom door until she heard his door open and close and his footsteps lead towards the stairs. She let out her breath and went to pull out all of the hangers from the closet and put them on the seat. She wanted to be ready to put everything up when it got there. She heard a knock at the door and approached it cautiously. She didn't know who it was until she heard Rebekah. She opened the door and pulled her in. Rebekah was barely in the room when Caroline pushed the door closed again.

_"What the bloody hell is going on Caroline?"_

_"You could have told me to just knock on your brother's door to wake him up."_

_"What did he do?"_

_"Aside from pinning me to the bed when he didn't know who I was? Did you know his bed is kind of like a box trap and you can't get out without passing him? Yea, I was trapped in his bed until he let me out."_

_"Again I'll ask. What did he do?"_

_"He invaded my personal space mostly. It was very awkward."_

_"Awkward? I'm surprised he didn't make a move on you in there."_

_"Oh trust me I thought he was going to. He got right in my face but kiss my forehead and blurred to the bathroom."_

_"Then what happened?"_

_"I don't know, I got out of there while I had the chance."_

_"Caroline, my brother just showed a lot of restraint in there. He had you in his bed, and I'm assuming he wasn't fully clothed, and you (the girl he is in love with) was the one to wake him up. Now, what are you doing hiding in your room?"_

_"I'm not hiding in here. I already ate and I'm getting ready to put my stuff up when it gets here. It's almost 8 now, so it could be any time."_

_"Okay and what are you doing after?"_

_"I'm supposed to meet Klaus in the hallway. He wants to show me a surprise. Oh god, how am I supposed to face him now?"_

_"The same as you always do. Besides I know what the surprise is and I think you'll like it. I'll even help you pick out clothes, but you will be meeting my brother. And don't look like a cat on catnip. You're so jumpy. Calm down."_

_"I already told your brother this, but I AM NOT JUMPY!"_

_"Yes you are. He makes you nervous. It's understandable to be nervous like this, but you can't let it bother you."_

_"I just don't know what to expect with him. I don't know what he's going to try with me."_

_"I don't know, but he won't try much. He's still trying to control himself with you. I can tell you he isn't going to try to anything too physical with you. He told me and Stefan that last night when Stefan attempted to give the big brother talk."_

_"Well at least I don't have to worry about that today; although I was worried about it earlier. I know it was morning and he is a guy, but I was too close for comfort this morning."_

_"So that's why you're jumpy!"_

_"What? And I am not jumpy."_

_"Yes you are, but I'm done arguing about it. You're a vampire Caroline. Think about what urges that means you're going to feel."_

_"Okay I'm not that either Bekah. I just know it's different being around him now and I don't know what to do."_

_"Do what you feel like doing. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do so just move at your own pace. Besides, with today's planned activities, you can work out some of that frustration you've gathered."_

_"Bekah! You're not being funny or helpful saying that."_

_"Oh lighten up Caroline. You make it far too easy to rattle you. That's why Stefan and Nik tease you. Besides, I thought of the perfect way to start the payback process. I'll take Nik's credit card, and all of us girls are going to go shopping. Then we're going to model for the men. Even Katherine will be joining us to keep suspicions down."_

_"How is a shopping trip going to be payback?"_

_"The shopping part is only the first step. The modeling is what is going to get them all on their toes. If they don't get excited, they'll get overprotective and start fighting. It's perfect really."_

_"Yea it is. Good thinking Bekah. So, when are we going to do this?"_

_"Tomorrow. I've already told everyone we're going shopping. It put the guys in a mood because they won't be going with us. Besides, we won't be shopping here in New Orleans. We're going to take a little trip to ease the guys down a little. We don't want them so worried that they follow us and ruin our plans." _Rebekah stated and then there was a knock at the door. Rebekah opened it to see Elijah standing there.

_"Miss Forbes, you things have arrived. They will be brought up shortly. Miss Bennett also asked if you wanted her household things with yours for the time being to save space?"_

_"That's fine Elijah, and you can call me Caroline. Miss Forbes just sounds too formal for me."_

_"Of course Caroline. I'll leave you ladies to your activities."_

_"Oh before I go, I left you some sage on the nightstand until we can have your room spelled. I figured you would want to play some music and not everyone sides with today's kind on music."_

_"Thanks Bekah. I'll see you later." _Caroline said as she watched her leave. She waited until she her boxes started arriving in the hall to pull out her IPod. After digging through the boxes, she couldn't find her stereo to play it on, so she went to ask where it was. Stefan halted the movers to look through her things in the truck. After finding it, he asked what other things she wanted to go in her room and she showed him and left. He informed the staff what needed to go to her room before he went to see how Bonnie and Jeremy were doing with their things.

Caroline blurred to her room and lit the sage before proceeding to hook up her stereo and plug her IPod into the deck. When she had her cheer practice playlist going to keep her motivated she started dragging boxes to the closet. She couldn't believe the size of the closet; it was about the size of her whole room back home. She could put all of her clothes in there and it would still seem bare. She pushed her thoughts aside because she knew she was going shopping the next day, and look for a drawer to put her underclothes and pajamas in. She put those away first; she didn't want any unexpected visitors to walk in and see those. Then she saw the racks designed for shoes and decided that her shoes would be last. The rack took up an entire section of the back wall. She didn't think she could ever completely fill the closet up. After an hour, she finally had all of her clothes and shoes put up and went to check what was left in the hallway. She was glad she was a vampire when it came to moving her desk, electronics, and pictures into her room. She didn't realize how much she actually had because she had never had to move it all before, but she was feeling a little tired. Damn spell. Why does it take so long to get back to normal? She began setting up pictures along any flat surface that was available; she didn't want them all up, but she did want her favorites visible. She packed the remainder up and put them in the bottom of her closet. Then she spotted the little shoebox that she kept little keepsakes in. She didn't know Stefan knew where that was, but she sat down and opened it up. Inside were little things she had made her mom, festival pamphlets that she had been to, the keychain her Dad had got her, a necklace that her mother had given her that had been passed down through a few generations, and the picture Klaus and drawn of her. She had forgotten she had put it in there after graduation thinking she wouldn't see him again, but she wanted to remember it. She put everything back in its place and put it in the top of her closet above her dress section. She placed her desk close to the windows and sat her laptop on it; making sure to plug it in before standing back to make sure everything was perfect. Her room already included a vanity, so she let hers go to storage. When she realized she was done, she looked at the time. She had thirty minutes to get ready so she blurred into the bathroom attached to her room and skidded to a stop; it was freaking huge. She decided to look at everything later because she really needed a shower before meeting Klaus. She walked over to the shower and turned it on. It took her a few minutes to see that it was a little more advance than she had learned, but she would figure it all out later. Her bathroom supplies were in a box she had brought to the door so she grabbed what she needed a jumped in. She had to use her vampire speed to rush her shower so her hair would have time to be dried. She dried off and put on a robe before proceeding to dry her hair. When she was ready to put on her clothes, she left the bathroom and ran right into Rebekah.

_"Shit Bekah, you scared the crap out of me."_

_"Sorry; I was just making sure you weren't standing my brother up. He's already waiting in the hallway."_

_"I'm running a little late. I got carried away unpacking and had to rush my shower. Just go tell him to give me about 5 or 10 more minutes."_

_"Okay, but you better get to the closet before I open that door. By the way, I'll be bringing you more sage later. Looks like you are going to be running through a lot. Looks good in here though; now go to the closet and wait for me." _Rebekah instructed and Caroline walked in her closet. Rebekah informed her brother that it would be a few minutes because Caroline was running late and to keep waiting. Then she went back to help Caroline with picking a suitable outfit. _"Bloody hell Caroline, you practically have no clothes. We are definitely stopping at every store tomorrow for you."_

_"What are you talking about? Bonnie has fewer clothes than I do, but we both have you than you when we combined what we have."_

_"Okay so both of you are getting your closets filled tomorrow. You need options; and that includes formal wear for both of you. Our family hosts large events that everyone will attend, and Nik may want to take you somewhere special in the future that you'll need them for too."_

_"I have a few formal dresses; they're hanging right there."_

_"I'm not talking formal for Miss Mystic Falls; I'm talking formal like royalty."_

_"We'll never fit into that category, so why waste the money?"_

_"Because you're going to need it. Now hush up and lets find you something for today." _She instructed and turned to search through the casual clothes area. _"Here these will work and wear some tennis shoes. Now hurry up and change; I'm leaving now." _She said as she handed Caroline her clothes and walked out. Caroline quickly grabbed a bra and panties and put them on. She didn't realize what she grabbed until she saw herself in the changing mirror. If she wasn't pressed for time, she would find something a little less provocative because she didn't want to chance anything. It's not like he's going to see them, she thought, and finished dressing. She grabbed her purse and pulled out enough make-up to cover her tired complexion and some scars that were left over from her human days that would be visible without it. She looked herself over one last time before heading out of her room and into the hall.


	15. Chapter 15

**Klaus and Caroline POV**

When Caroline made it to the hallway, but didn't see Klaus anywhere. She let out a breath thinking she had taken too long and he had changed his mind when he snuck up behind her and grabbed her around the waist.

_"Are you ready love?"_

_"You scared me! What is it with everyone jumping out of corners at me today?"_

_"I'm sorry sweetheart; follow me."_

_"Where are you taking me?"_

_"It's a surprise and you only get to see where you're walking part of the way. Don't panic, but I have to blindfold you once we reach the side of the house. But, I promise that you'll love what you see when I take it off."_

_"Okay so my surprise is somewhere on the property. How long will I have to wear the blindfold?"_

_"Only a minute. I'm going to pick you up and carry you. It will be faster and your sense won't have time to pick up on your surroundings until the blindfold is off. Your surprise will be right in front of you when you open your eyes."_

_"You're going to carry me?"_

_"It's only to keep your surprise a surprise until you see it love."_

_"Fine." _She finished and walked to the front door of the house. Klaus opened it and lead the way to the side. When he stopped and turned to her, she knew the next step. She took a breath to calm herself and nodded. He put the blindfold on her and picked her up bridal style.

_"Hold on sweetheart." _He spoke before he blurred them to the stables and set her down, taking the blindfold off at the same time. She opened her eyes to see two horses in front of her. She stumbled a step backwards in surprise before fixing her footing. _"Well what do you think?"_

_"Are we riding?"_

_"Yes. We'll be riding them down to the river for a picnic. The tan one will be for you and I will have the other."_

_"You know when I said I liked horses, it didn't mean I could ride them."_

_"I know you don't have much experience riding them, but it's not that difficult and you have your vampire reflexes to help you now."_

_"Okay just give me a minute." _She said as she walked to her designated horse slowly. She paused every time the horse bobbed it's head before inching closer. She raised her hand up to try and touch it's neck but it whipped its head to the side and she pulled back.

_"She's not going to hurt you love. She's just as nervous as you. Give her an apple and pet her with your other hand. When she's done you can mount her."_

_"You make it sound so easy." _She joked.

_"Do you need me to help you up?"_

_"Let me try it on my own. If I can't I guess I'll have to let you help me." _ She halfway joked back. She did as he instructed and the horse relaxed with her. She kept petting until she reached the saddle area. She decided to handle things like a cheerleading pyramid. If she could climb on people, she could climb on a horse. She put her foot in the holster and jumped. When she had her weight balanced, she quickly swung her leg over and reached to pet the neck of her horse again. She wanted to keep the animal as calm as she could. Then she started looking for the reins, but spotted Klaus loosening them from the post and bringing them to her.

_"You did splendid sweetheart."_

_"I forgot the reins."_

_"You got on the horse without help like I said you could. Now, you'll only have to nudge your foot to get her to move, but wait on me before you do."_

_"How do I stop her when I want to stop?"_

_"Just pull her reins back and hold them until she does."_

_"Thanks." _She replied as she watched him effortlessly unhook his horse and mount. He caught her watching him at ease and smirked. Her nervousness from that morning resurfaced, but she hid it and nudged her horse forward. She began moving forward at an extremely slow pace so she nudged her again. _"Which way?"_

_"Go between the stables and the side house. From there it's just straight to the river. You'll see where I have set up. There's a hitching post you need to get to when you're done on her."_

_"How long can I ride?"_

_"You can ride as long as you want sweetheart, but some of the picnic's food is perishable, so I wouldn't take too long." _He said with another smirk. She wouldn't have caught it if she hadn't looked at him. Why would he be smirking? Then she thought about what they had just said; yep, there he goes with the innuendos again. She just shook her head and nudged the horse again. She must have misjudged her nudge because the horse took off running. She panicked for a second until she remembered how to stop, but she just focused on steering the horse around the field in large circles. She wanted to enjoy the experience as much as she could before eating. When the horse started slowing, she guided her to the post and stopped her. She hopped down without a problem with the reins in her hands and went to the post. Then she remembered she had no idea what kind of knot to use to tie her up. Klaus came up beside her with his own reins and tied his horse up. After watching him tie, she copied his actions to tie hers up. Then she walked over and sat down on the blanket laid out on the ground.

_"That was actually really fun. Thank you for letting me ride a horse."_

_"You're welcome love; although I was a bit worried when you made her run. I thought you would have panicked and fell off, but you handled it nicely."_

_"I did panic for a second. I didn't mean to make her run, but it was fun so I let her run until she was tired."_

_"Well, now the horses can rest while we enjoy our picnic." _He said as he pulled out the contents of the basket. She noticed a bottle of champagne and started giggling. Normally people would have wine on a picnic, but she knew the inside joke; it was their thing in his thoughts. He poured her a flute and arranged a plate for her before preparing his own. As they ate, they didn't speak; just gazed at the river flowing. _"Did you enjoy yourself today love?"_

_"Yes I had fun. Did you?"_

_"I've had a really good day today actually."_

_"I'd say so. Don't think I didn't catch on to what you were referring to this morning AND when we were leading the horses out."_

_"I don't know what you mean sweetheart."_

_"Of course you don't."_

_"Does it bother you?"_

_"I really don't know what to think of it."_

_"I make you nervous."_

_"Sometimes. Other times you just confuse me."_

_"How do I confuse you?"_

_"I just never know what to expect from you. I'm always trying to guess what you're going to do."_

_"How is that confusing?"_

_"When you get like that, it makes you unpredictable. I know how to approach certain moods of yours, but there are some I haven't quite figured out."_

_"Come here and look at me." _He said as he moved the basket behind them. She turned around to her side and scooted until he knees were touching his legs. _"You just have to let me know what you are comfortable with. I don't know unless you tell me."_

_"When are we doing the memory transfer?"_

_"Whenever you're ready. Elijah's witch is ready and is waiting on word. I might want to warn you about something though. You warned me that I wouldn't like every thought you had of me. Some of mine might make you a bit uncomfortable."_

_"Like."_

_"I guess you can call them little daydreams, or if I saw you and thought something about you."_

_"So I'm going to get the dirty thoughts you've had about me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Can the witch limit those too?"_

_"Sorry sweetheart, she's limited it as far as she can."_

_"Great. How graphic were they?"_

_"Some were pretty graphic, but those were more in private than around you."_

_"Okay, hold up a second. I'm just getting your memories of me. Why would I…" she_ began to ask but he just smirked and bowed his head down. "_So anytime you've thought of me will count as a memory?"_

_"Yes."_

_"When you say private… does that mean what I think it means?"_

_"I would say so from the look on your face."_

_"It is not funny."_

_"I know, but I'm not ashamed. You can't tell me you've never worked your frustrations out yourself; you would be lying."_

_"Well I know that, but I didn't want anyone to know about it. It's bad enough you have my memories of me doing that, and now I'm going to have your memories of you doing that with me in your head."_

_"Sweetheart, calm down." _He said as he swiveled to put both his hands on her cheeks and look at her. _"It's a natural for everybody."_

_"I know."_

_"So why are you worrying about it?"_

_"I'm worried about what you thought of me doing."_

_"I wouldn't be worried. You might like some of the things I thought of."_

_"Seriously?! You are so no helping right now. You do realize I'm probably nothing like what you have in your head, right?"_

_"Alright. Let me counter that. What do you think I would be like?"_

_"I don't know! You're a thousand years old. You probably invented some of the ways people use now."_

_"Well I wouldn't agree or disagree to that, but that's not what I mean. You know, I noticed in my memories your mind thought ahead of you and tried to imagine me, but you caught on quickly and pulled away from it."_

_"Hey now, don't pull that on me. I had every right to squash natural curiosity back then."_

_"Yes, but not now. What were you thinking about this morning Caroline?"_

_"That I was trapped."_

_"What else? Why did you look anywhere but at me? Why did you have to close your eyes Caroline?"_

_"I don't know. I was trying to not see parts of you I hadn't seen before, but it was difficult when you were right in front of me AND at one point had me pinned!"_

_"I know why you're nervous with this area of your life. You've not had the best experiences and it's making you nervous when you shouldn't be. Do you think you don't make me nervous when I have you close to me?"_

_"Like you get nervous…"_

_"I do get nervous. I am always trying to not cross that invisible line you set. And now it's even harder to gauge what you're okay with."_

_"Listen." _She said he said grabbed his hands and finally pulled them from her face. _"There's been a lot that's happened, but that doesn't mean everyone has to walk on eggshells around me. It doesn't mean I have to have everyone giving me speeches either. You want to know why it's been so hard to get back to normal? Because nothing is normal anymore. It hasn't been normal for a long time now. I'm trying to establish a new normal for me to follow. I'm in a new house, in a new city, and don't get me started on friendships and alliances. Some are the same, but some are different."_

_"Which am I to you?"_

_"Both."_

_"How so?"_

_"You know how everything was before. I felt torn but I stayed on my friends' side. Now, we're all here with you. Plus, you know everything about me, so I don't really know what you still see in me."_

_"I still see everything I saw in you before. You can disbelieve me now all you want, but you'll know the truth when we do the transfer. I wish you would believe me now, and I think you want to, but something is holding you back. Would you tell me what it is?" _he asked as he pulled a hand free to rub her cheek again before moving down to her neck to run his fingers over the scar underneath her make-up. _"That's it isn't it? You don't think you're enough for me? Well…" _he started before he placed his other hand on her cheek again and made escape impossible for her._ "I guess I'm going to have to prove it to you."_

_"I know you think the memory transfer will make me see your feelings, and it will, but how is that going to prove anything?"_

_"I didn't mean that way." _Was all he said as he looked her in the eyes. Then she realized what he had been setting her up for with his hands and their positions. He slowly moved his body more towards her until he was stationed over her. She put her hands down and untucked her legs to give her leverage enough to push back, but he just moved closer and grabbed her hip to hold her still.

_"You said you were going to be a gentleman."_

_"But I also said I would prove to you how I feel." _He replied. He only gave her a second to think before he crushed his lips to hers. Her mind tried to resist, but everything that he, his family, and her friends had said came to repeat in her mind. He had been remained with her after learning every part of her and been patient while she had resisted him; even after she had tried everything to push him away. Why was she still fighting him? The insecurities that always showed themselves were barely making their existence known. The position they were in wasn't the most comfortable, but when she open her mouth to tell him, he pushed to deepen the kiss, so she fell back and let him follow. For the second time that day she found herself pinned, but this time she enjoyed it. They were in the same position that they had been in during his dream, but it felt a million times better in reality. He moved further up her body so he wouldn't be stretching his neck, but it brushed their lower bodies together and they both moaned. He pulled out of the kiss to try and regain control of himself, but put his forehead against hers.

_"I think we better stop before we can't." _he whispered before placing a small kiss beside her mouth and rubbed his nose on hers. She opened her eyes and saw his closed and his veins showing under them. She knew he was trying to restrain himself for her, so she reached her hand up to trace his veins before placing one of her hands on his cheeks and the other behind his neck._ "Love, I'm barely holding back now. We better get back to the house."_

_"I don't want to go back yet."_

_"I can't seem to contain myself when we're alone anymore, and we're not exactly in private right now." _He said as they looked around. There were boats going down the river and they could see the property buildings on their other side. It was definitely NOT the place to lose control in. She dropped her hands to his shoulders as he pulled away from her. She sat up on her knees as he did to retain some of the closeness they had. _"Is there anything else you wanted to do today?"_

_"I didn't have anything else planned."_

_"Would you like to spend more time with me or have you had enough for the day?"_

_"Call the witch."_

_"She's prepared to do it, but we kind of need to wait until we know what Davina is going to do. I have to make sure everyone is safe."_

_"We're vampires; we're never really safe. I think I've got enough of myself back to what I was before everything happened."_

_"You were dreading it earlier love, I don't think you want to know everything yet."_

_"What are you hiding from me?" _she asked while watching his expression. She knew he wanted her to know everything, but there was something he wasn't telling her; she knew there was.

_"The whole point of this is so you know everything about my feelings and intentions towards you; that's true. There is something I'm keeping from you until you see it in the transfer… "_

_"Klaus I may like how some surprises turn out, but that isn't always the case. Are you really going to make me stress out over something until you decide it's safe enough to do the freaking transfer?"_

_"I don't want you to stress sweetheart. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I don't know how you're going to take it."_

_"This has to do with why you needed my blood last night, doesn't it?"_

_"Yes. I had a spell done to find out something. You will have that memory too. That's why I want to wait. I want you to see it instead of telling you about it. It explains so much, but not everything. When you see it, I just want you to know that I fell in love with you before I found out anything about it; before I even suspected it."_

_"I want to do the transfer."_

_"We will."_

_"Call the witch."_

_"Sweetheart…"_

_"I want to know… I don't want to stress out over this and be questioning why you are keeping this from me. I have to endure shopping with your sister tomorrow because she thinks the amount of clothes I have isn't enough to do anything. Davina may not even do anything against us here because doing so is a suicide mission. Even if she does, one witch not being at full power is not going to tip the scales enough to matter."_

_"You're right; she may not attack here, but that doesn't mean she won't. And one witch may not tip the scales, but it's a chance I don't want to take with everyone's safety; your safety. Both you and I would be unconscious during the spell; that means we'd be left open for an attack."_

_"The witch could pull us out if she needed to…"_

_"Do you want to chance everyone you care about?"_

_"No, but…"_

_"But nothing. Let me take care of this and I promise you we'll do the transfer; the same day."_

_"Will you tell me what you found out?"_

_"Wait until the transfer please. It's already hard enough to not tell you; I just want you to see it as it happened."_

_"Fine. So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day if you aren't going to tell or show me?"_

_"What do you want to do?"_

_"I want to watch you draw something."_

_"What do you want me to draw for you?"_

_"Can you draw my mom? And maybe where you took me in your head?"_

_"I can do that. I actually drew some of that already if you want one."_

_"I'll look, but I think I want to watch you draw it. I want to see how you manage to draw everything so perfect."_

_"A millennium of practice sweetheart."_

_"Well maybe you can show me how you paint too sometime."_

_"That gives me an idea; get your horse and we'll go back to the house." _He said as he stood up and held his hand out to help her up.

_"What are we doing now?" _She said as she stood and followed.

_"You'll see. Now come on; I'll race you." _He replied as he got on his horse to wait for her. She got on hers easier than the last time and nudged her horse hard to get her to run again. It wasn't a very far ride to the house so they both knew it was a short race. He enjoyed moments when he could be carefree around her. He could let the last thousand years of misery and running be in the past and be happy. He was worried that she would put her guard back up when she found out she was his mate and they meant to be together. If she did, he would wait for her to open up to him again. Maybe one day she would give in completely and they could begin their lives together.

_"I win!" _she laughed as she came to a stop and hopped down to tie the horse back to its original post. Klaus gave her a laugh and went to tie up his set of reins. Then he blurred to her, picking her up and speeding towards the back door of the house. All anyone heard throughout the house was Klaus and Caroline laughing and he sped the upstairs to his room. When he set her down, she was still laughing.

_"Okay, just wait here a moment while I get my sketchbook."_

_"Okay." _She replied, adding a nod. He walked over to his desk to retrieve all of the materials he would need before heading back to her.

_"Where do you want us to sit? The only place I have is the bed and I doubt you're very keen on that idea."_

_"I'll be fine. You're only drawing and I'm only watching. Just don't trap me in there again."_

_"No promises love."_

_"You do realize that half the members of the house can hear if I holler for them?"_

_"Actually they wouldn't. My room is spelled to be soundproof and soon as the door is shut. Sometimes I burn sage to make others believe it isn't but it is."_

_"You're not helping my nerves here."_

_"Don't worry. I won't do anything unless you ask me to."_

_"That's kind of what you said before."_

_"Well that was kind of needed. Now do you want to watch me sketch or am I going to have to settle your nerves again?"_

_"Sketch."_

_"Very well love." _He said with a smirk and sat down on the bed. When he saw she was still standing, he patted the spot next to him and smirked again. She shook her head and sat down. After taking a breath, she turned towards him. He was still watching her and it was making her feel awkward.

_"Why are you staring at me? I thought you were going to draw?"_

_"I am going to draw, but can you blame me for getting distracted?"_

_"How am I distracting you now?"_

_"You're not doing it on purpose. Just seeing you or catching your scent is enough to distract me."_

_"Well I don't know what to tell you to do about that; maybe try ignoring me or blocking me out?"_

_"That never worked sweetheart." _He said with a smirk and she pushed his shoulder. It caught him off guard enough that he dropped his sketchbook and pencils.

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to do that." _She said as she bent down to help him to retrieve everything. She didn't realize he had frozen in place until she felt his hand on hers. Then she noticed where she had put her hand; halfway up his outer thigh. He gently lifted her hand as she rose back up, and rubbed his thumb against her palm before releasing it back to her.

_"Like I said, you don't always distract me on purpose." _He said to her to her lowly in a deep husky voice. She didn't know whether she wanted to move away from or closer to him, but she put her hand on his.

_"I …"_

_"It's alright love. I know it was an accident." _He said as he reached down and picked up his book and materials. She saw his face look pained and a little sad, and she couldn't figure out why, so she gripped the hand she had placed hers on. He set everything down beside him and looked to her. _"What are you doing love?"_

_"I wasn't going to push you away. I just didn't want to put you under any more strain around me. I didn't think when I bent down to pick your stuff up; I just wanted to help you. Now I've just made you feel bad somehow. I'll go to my room if it makes you feel better." _She said as she released his hand and went to stand, but he reached out and brought her back down on the bed.

_"You didn't make me feel bad love."_

_"I saw your face Klaus. I did something that left you disappointed in me."_

_"It wasn't you; I promise. I was just scolding myself."_

_"Why?"_

_"It's just something I do sometimes."_

_"Well don't. I don't like that face on you and it makes me feel like I did something to you. It's the same one you gave me the night you bit me when I was on the porch." _She informed him. He just looked at her again and she leaned in to his cheek to give him a light kiss. He put his arms around her waist to hold her to him and she placed her arms around his shoulders. She could feel his nose nuzzling in between her neck and shoulder and she put a hand in his hair. _"I think we're even now." _She whispered in his ear and he chuckled.

_"Not even close sweetheart."_ He chuckled before pushing her towards the wall in his bed. She giggled until she realized he had trapped her again. She squinted her eyes at him as he moved his sketchbook and pencils to the nightstand. Before she could ask what he was doing he spoke up. _"Now I remember someone saying they were feeling close to their full health, which could mean a lot of things. I have a pretty good amount of control now, so I think I'm going to test it. I remember you being very ticklish."_

_"Klaus don't. The last time I got tickled I ended up in pain. Let's not test it. Besides, I didn't want trapped, remember?"_

_"Oh I remember sweetheart, but I also remember telling you I wouldn't promise you that." _He reminded her and lunged. She fell back as he straddled her thighs and started tickling. She kept trying to push him off and he pinned her hands above her head. It was a little more difficult to tickle her with one hand, but he managed to do it until she started using her hips to try and buck him off. She was almost successful until he fell off one of her legs and she raised it up. She found new leverage with her leg and pushed against the bed. He broke his hold on her hands trying to regain balance as she lifted the side with the free leg. He grabbed her lifted shoulder and pushed until he had it pinned down again and tried to regain control. They were both laughing as she kept pushing at him wherever she could. She ended up being able to push him back until she was sitting again, but he moved to the side thinking she was going to use her free leg and they both lost balance. She fell back on the bed and he had to use his arms to catch himself before he fell on her. She realized she was close to kneeing him in the groin and lowered her leg enough for him to move himself away from that accident waiting to happen. He shifted until he was on his knees between her legs and looked up at her. When he smirked, she knew he wasn't finished with their little game and she tried to sit up, but he grabbed her hands and pushed her back down. When she realized their position, she knew a way to throw him off guard, but she didn't know where it would lead them to. She then decided that she would deal with that if it came to it, and hooked her legs around him and pushed with her hands against his until she had flipped them over and she was on top.

_"Now Klaus are you ticklish?" _she asked while trying to pull her hands free. He was still surprised enough for her to pull one hand away. She had to pull her arm behind her because he sat up and tried to reach for it again. When he couldn't reach it, he let go of her other hand and gripped her hips to flip them back over. He released one of her hips to brace his weight on his arm, leaving his body still pressed against her.

_"No, I'm not ticklish love, but you're welcome to try."_

_"I did try. You flipped me back over." _She spoke while breathing heavily. She then just pulled one of her hands up to wipe the hair out of her face. She looked at him and then the position they were in and moved her hand to trace a path from his shoulder to his chest where she could see his necklaces under his shirt. She looked at him again before reaching up to pull them out to look at them. She hadn't really paid too much attention to them before, but she was curious about them. She would have to ask the meaning behind them sometime. Then she remembered the tattoos he had and pushed the neck of his shirt aside to see the one on his shoulder. He watched her face as he let her examine him. She could barely see the tattoo, so she released that area of the shirt and grabbed his sleeve to try from that angle. He gave a little laugh. _"What?"_

_"If you want to see my tattoo, I can take my shirt off." _He said as he sat up to take it off before getting off of her and propping up on his side on the outer side of the bed. She was still trapped in the bed, but she had her mobility back, so she turned on her side to look at it. She propped her head on her hand before reaching her finger over to trace the edges of his tattoo. Then she remembered his other tattoo and scooted up to lean over his shoulder to see it too. He didn't move as she looked until he noticed her chest was in his face. He put a hand on her hip to guide her back a little and she went back to her original pose. She picked his necklaces back up to look at them again for a minute before putting them back down. When she looked back at him he was looking at her like he had earlier at the picnic so she put her arm down to match his position. He reached up and pushed her hair behind her shoulder and tucking it behind her ear. He noticed her bra strap peeping out from under her shirt and started tracing it. Her breathing picked up as he moved closer to nuzzle her neck again. When she felt him starting to kiss her lightly, trailing a path upwards towards her face she closed her eyes and laid back. He followed her and she wrapped her hand around his neck to hold him to her.

She felt his hand glide across her shoulder down to her arm before he moved it to her side and down to her hip. His thumb slipped under her shirt to rub on her skin and she felt herself flush. Rebekah had been right; Klaus did make her feel something other than nervous. She pulled his head the rest of the way in front of her face. He nuzzled her nose and she leaned up to kiss him. He had instigated their kisses before, but she wanted to do it now. Once their lips met, he used to kiss to push her head back down to the pillow. She used her free hand to push his lower half back over her. In doing so, some of her shirt rose up enough to feel his stomach on a small part of hers. She felt light her skin was igniting as she pulled him closer to her. She was starting to feel confined in her clothes, but she knew she couldn't move enough to get her shirt off, so gave a light push to get him to lift. He pulled out of the kiss and looked at her. He didn't see anything wrong with her, so he decided to ask.

_"Are you alright?"_

_"I was just trying to get to my shirt."_

_"Here, I can pull it down if it's bothering you."_

_"No, that's not how it's bothering me. I wanted to take it off."_

_"Caroline you need to be absolutely sure you want to do that with me. You know there won't be any going back if we do. Just think for a minute; I don't want you having any doubts, regrets, or second thoughts later. I don't want you feeling like this is something you have to do right now."_

_"I don't feel like I have to do this… I want to do this." _She replied and looked down. _"I mean I understand if you don't want to… that's fine."_

_"Caroline, can you not feel how much I want to?" _he asked and she focused on him. Oh yes, she could feel that he wanted to. He was holding back for her. She thought about what he was asking her to as she felt his hand caress her face again. Yes, he was keeping something from her, but he had already said he was going to tell her. Yes, there was possible danger waiting for them. Yes, she was still waiting on the memory transfer. Did she want to wait on this too to be safe? She remembered how she had let him kiss her in his head before he had her memories and he had remained with her after. Did she really think she needed to wait? He said there would be no turning back. Should she figure everything out first? Rebekah had told her that she loved him, but she didn't know for sure. It felt like it. She felt more connected with him and cared about. Did she love him? She looked at him and saw him looking at her with the love he felt for her. She knew she had been falling more for him, but was it love yet? She thought she might be in love with him, but could she actually tell him that? She decided to explain her feeling as best as she could.

_"I know you want me to be sure about this and you. There may be things I disagree with, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to figure things out. I know you're waiting for me, and I've been trying to figure everything out. I've been falling for you. I don't know what I would call it yet, but I know I want this. I want you." _She spoke as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. His own eyes had become full of tears as he listened to her.

_"And when you say you want me… what part of me are you talking about?" _he whispered as his closed his eyes.

_"I want you; all of you. You haven't given up on me yet, so it's about time I was there for you. We have to stop dancing around each other or we'll both end up miserable." _She whispered back as his eyes opened back up. He noticed a tear escaping one of her eyes and wiped it gently before lowering his head back to hers.

_"Are you sure?" _he whispered, giving her one last chance to back out. She reached up and grabbed his neck as she nodded and pulled him down to her. He released the passion he felt for her as he lowered his body back to hers and placed his hand at the bottom of her shirt. He moved his hand up slowly while keeping his thumb out to push her shirt up as he touched her side. He pulled back so she could lift up enough for him to get her shirt off. He propped himself over her with one hand while the other rubbed her side and moved to her stomach before gliding further up over her heart where he paused. He looked back to her eyes as he moved his hand back to her neck and he lowered his head back to hers. He let his hand glide back down over her breast and squeezed through her bra. When she moaned, he reached under her towards the clasp and she lifted to let him undo it. A couple seconds later, her bra had been tossed away from them and he lowered his head to tease her nipples. She used her hand to reach between them to try and tugged at the button on his jeans, but he stopped her. He knew that no one had taken their time with her, and he wanted her to fully enjoy every minute of this.

_"Why are you stopping me?"_

_"I'm not stopping you completely. I'm just slowing you down. I'm taking my time with you, so you fully understand the word pleasure."_

_"I can still learn that with the clothes off; better in fact."_

_"So impatient; just let me handle the clothes." _He replied as he moved down her body with little teasing licks and kisses. When he reached her jeans, his hand fumbled with the button a bit, resisting the urge to rip them off of her. He sat up to pull them off of her and she lifted her herself to help him. The only remaining clothing he left on her was her panties, and he stretched back over her to meet her lips again. She was getting more and more impatient and flipped them over. She could tell he was about to protest so she ground her hips down against him. They both released moans into each other's' mouths and he sat up with her in his lap. She let him stay sitting up for a minute before she slowly pushed him back down and started kissing down his neck and chest. Keeping him distracted with kissing him, she reached to undo his pants. She managed to get his button undone and zipper down before he flipped them back over and push his pants down. He used his feet to kick them off the rest of the way before reaching for her panties. He pulled them down slowly and her breathing picked up. He took a moment to let the sight of her before him set in before his hands went to her knees to put her legs over his shoulders as he lowered himself.

_"What are you doing?"_

_"I'm going to please you." _He replied as he used his hand to rub up and down her folds.

_"We can do that another time. I think we're both ahh…" _she tried to say as he smirked and attacked her clit with his tongue. She bucked her hips and he put an arm over them to hold her down. Every lick, suck, and nibble was pushing her further. She twisted her hands up in the sheet to have something to hold on to as her back arched. He was getting her really close really fast. _"Klaus… oh…" _she breathed as she felt herself quickening.

_"Mmm." _He hummed as he pushed two fingers in and started curling and thrusting. He knew she was close and it would be any second.

_"Klaus!"_ She half-screamed through gritted teeth as she came undone. He slowed down and helped her ride out her orgasm. She felt him withdraw his fingers and opened her eyes, realizing she had closed them sometime after she finished. She watched him suck her liquids from his fingers before kissing up her body. When they were face to face again she pulled him to her lips again. She could feel him against her thigh through his boxers and she could feel how ready she was for him, but she wanted to catch him by surprise. Without breaking their kiss, she flipped them over. _"My turn." _She said with her own smirk and started kissing down his neck and chest. She used her hands to start pushing his boxers down as she approached his lower abdomen. She leaned up long enough to remove his boxers completely and toss them aside. She picked up his hands and reached to put them beside his head. _"Keep your hands here and DON'T stop me." _She instructed as she met his eyes. She knew is she didn't tell him to let her finish, he would stop her, and she wasn't going to let him. She kissed and nibbled her way down his body again before reaching his erection. She gave a long lick; from the base to his head and over the top to the base again. She saw him adjust his hands and he sucked in a breath as she pushed her mouth all the way down on him.

_"Bloody hell Caroline…" _He hissed as she sucked her way back up. She brought one hand to rest on his thigh as she used her other hand to set a rhythm in time with her mouth. She could tell he was restraining himself from bucking his hips up and pushed on his thigh with a little more pressure. She began increasing her suction as she pulled up and taking him further into her throat and constricting her throat muscles as she pushed down. She could feel him starting to jerk and she hummed as she pushed down a final time. She only pulled up slightly to use a better amount of suction as she felt him lose himself. She pulled back slowly, making sure she collected all that he released in her last suck. When she released him, she gave another lick along his head before crawling back up his body. She only made it halfway back up before he grabbed her and flipped her back over to pin her against the bed. He released his passion on her in his kiss and then pulled back to rest his forehead against hers. _"Now that was a test in control." _He smirked as he pushed his head against her entrance. She felt her body respond with want and she pushed her hips down to let him know what she wanted. He reached down to tease her with his fingers and then the head of his erection.

_"Stop teasing Klaus."_

_"You are so wet for me Caroline. Maybe I should taste you again." _He said as he pulled his fingers up to show her. He hooked her legs around his to hold him in place. He chuckled a bit before sucking his fingers without looking away from her eyes. She reached up and pulled him back to her lips. She felt his hand come up to hold her face as he pushed his hips forward. She felt the tip of him enter her and her mouth parted with a breathy pant. He pulled out to the push back in halfway. She could see he was trying to be easy with her with his strained neck and set jaw, so she decided to remind him that she wasn't breakable; she pushed her hips down to bring him the rest of the way in. He stayed still for a few seconds looking at her until he caught on to what she was implying. He pulled her lower lip between his teeth and slowly released it to distract her while he pulled almost completely out and thrust back in, pulling her leg up to hit deeper. He set a pace that had them both pulling closer to each other. Caroline felt her bloodlust rising to the surface and tried to keep her face from changing, but she couldn't. She knew she was getting close again when she saw Klaus look up at her with his hybrid features out. She knew her vampire features were out by then and she couldn't hold back anymore when he told her to bite him. She bit into the skin between his neck and shoulder and felt the prick of his teeth in almost the same spot as her teeth. When the blood hit her tongue, she came with a muffled scream into his skin. He kept pumping into her until he released into her. He kept rocking into her to carry out their orgasms as they released each other from their bites and licked the skin clean of blood. When she pulled her head back, he rested his against hers and stared into her eyes.

Caroline was thinking about how she had never felt that much pleasure from sex before and couldn't believe that she actually felt complete. Klaus wanted so much to tell her that she was his mate in that moment, but he still wanted it to be a surprise for her to see in the exchange. He knew things would be different with them from then on out. He leaned down and kissed her while pushing into her to let her know they weren't anywhere near done yet and heard her gasp. She looked up at him to question him, but he gave her his dimpled smirk. She pushed them over so she could take control and they spent the rest of the night continuing their lovemaking before finally letting sleep take over them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Shopping and Confrontation**

Caroline woke up to see Klaus drawing in his sketchbook next to her. She sat up and saw he was finishing a sketch of her sleeping, before looking to his lap to see the drawings she had requested the day before.

_"Good morning love."_

_"Good morning. How long have you been awake?"_

_"Just a little over an hour. I drew the pictures you wanted. I know you wanted to watch me draw them, but I know you have a shopping day planned, so I went ahead and drew them. How do you like them?"_

_"They're perfect; beautiful. Thank you." _She said as she looked at him. He leaned in and kissed her before he spoke back to her.

_"You're welcome love. Now, you have to get up and get ready for the day. Rebekah will tear my head off if I delay a shopping trip."_

_"Since when are you scared of your sister?"_

_"I'm not scared of Rebekah, but I don't want to hear another one of her tantrums." _He answered with a smirk. She agreed that it was probable best if she started getting ready and wrapped the sheet around her. She gave him a quick kiss and walked to the door. She peeked outside the door to make sure no one was in the hallway before flashing into her room. She gathered up her clothes and walked into her bathroom. She turned on her shower before putting the sheet in the hamper. She washed herself quickly before getting out and getting dressed. She fixed her hair and make-up before heading downstairs to find Rebekah. Rebekah was finishing getting everyone rounded up when Caroline walked in. Rebekah gave a knowing look and Caroline blushed before smiling and looking down. The girls all walked out to the SUV and made their way out of town.

Rebekah took them to the place that she had set up for them to visit that day. Each one of them had their own assistant that was bringing them different outfits to try on. After a couple hours, everybody had a truckload selection of clothes to have brought back to the house. They were told to wait for a little while so alterations could be made to what needed fixed, and the girls decided to go get their hair and nails done while they waited. Rebekah kept trying to tease Caroline with innuendos involving Klaus, and Caroline couldn't stop blushing. By then, each one of them knew what had occurred between her and Klaus the night before. Caroline refused to comment on how it was, but her blush gave her away. When their hair and nails were done, they went back to the store and gave the driver instructions for the delivery. With everything squared away they made their way back towards the mansion.

The scene that they arrived to had Caroline's heart pounding in fear. She saw the witches being held back by a force and all the guys on the ground screaming in pain. She saw a girl with dark brown hair standing there causing everything to happen. Katherine grabbed Bonnie and flashed her to safety and Rebekah tried to grab Caroline, but she ducked out of the way to run to the girl.

_"Stop!"_

_"You! You're the reason they killed Marcel."_

_"He's the reason I almost died! He wasn't going to stop!"_

_"I want you to feel what's it's like to lose someone close to you."_

_"I do know what it feels like. Marcel and my ex worked together to have my mom killed and had a witch put a spell on me."_

_"You don't know pain!"_

_"You don't know me! You think I don't know pain? You're a witch so look at my memories. See if we're the ones that are really the bad guys here!"_

_"I should just kill you now."_

_"Just stop hurting them!"_

_"Why should I? They want to kill me!"_

_"Because you want to kill us all! If you don't hurt us, we don't hurt you! That's how it works! Now look at my memories and tell me whether or not you still see things the same!" _She ordered. Davina looked at her for a minute before pulling up her memories. The spell she was using was pulling everything up from her life and she had to watch it all again. She dropped down to the ground and screamed from every torment she had ever had. When the memories stopped, Caroline looked around to see Davina had stopped inflicting pain on everyone, but they still couldn't move. Caroline pushed herself back to her feet and walked over to Davina. _"Do you still honestly believe I don't know pain? Let them strip your powers and you can have a normal life, far away from all of us. You're still so young. You don't have to die; nobody else has to die." _She finished trying to get Davina to back down.

_"Do I have your word that nobody will kill me and I can leave once my powers are gone?"_

_"I give you my word as long as you not harm or kill anybody else, I'll make sure no harm comes to you in return. We'll just strip your powers and let you leave." _She promised. Davina nodded her head and released everybody at once. Caroline told everyone to stay where they were except the witch that would strip Davina's powers. It took more than one witch as they circled her. Caroline watched as Davina cried from feeling her magic leave her. When the spell was over, Caroline grabbed Davina and flashed her to the gate. Once outside the gate, Davina ran and Caroline flashed back to everyone else. Klaus was being held back by everybody so Caroline flashed to him and put her hands on his chest.

_"Caroline, why would you let her go?"_

_"Because I gave her my word that I would. She just a child, Klaus! She didn't have all of the facts about this, so she acted on what she knew. She's harmless now, so let her go."_

_"She could have killed you Caroline!"_

_"But she didn't!"_

_"I knew the risk I was taking when I flashed to her. I had to try and talk her down. I'm sick of all the deaths!"_

_"We could have handled it!"_

_"Not this time! The witches couldn't get to her and she had you guys screaming. I couldn't stand to see you all in pain. I couldn't stand to see you almost die!" _She screamed and flashed inside. Klaus followed behind her and found her in his room. When she turned around to face him, he slammed the door shut and flashed in front of her; she fell back against the wall. Klaus closed in around her and lifted her around his waist before pushing her back into the wall and crushing his lips to hers. She barely heard the ripping of the fabric they were wearing before she felt him thrust into her. She cried out and threw her head back, grabbing on to his hair as he continued his thrust. She felt herself tightening and heard him speak through gritted teeth.

_"You… will… not… put… yourself… in …danger… again." _He spoke with each thrust and she came hard with a scream. He picked up the pace and adjusted to hit a new angle that had her screaming with each thrust. She thought it would hurt being so rough, but it felt blissful. She saw his features change and she changed hers. He bit into her and she bit back, causing them both to find their release at the same time. He gave her a few more thrust and he finished carrying out their orgasms and released her neck. She let go of his and looked at him. He kept his eyes closed as he rested his forehead against hers. She brought her hand around to place it on his cheek and angled her face to meet his lips with hers. She kissed him softly at first, but deepened it when she felt him harden again inside of her. She pulled away to look at him. They didn't need words at that moment and he carried her over to the bed. He took his time with her that round, letting her feel all of his feeling s for her. They lay there for a while afterwards looking at each other before Caroline decided to speak up.

_"I'm sorry I made you worry, but I wasn't going to run away and leave everyone when I had a chance to save you."_

_"I know love. I'm sorry I lost control on you. Did I hurt you?"_

_"Did it sound like you hurt me?"_

_"Well you did scream a lot sweetheart."_

_"That wasn't from pain. I actually liked you losing control on me."_

_"I'll have to remember that love."_

_"Yes you will. I was getting a little tired of being treated like I'm fragile."_

_"I know you're not fragile sweetheart. You know, other than putting yourself in danger, I was proud of the way you handled the situation."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You marched in, handled the situation, and ordered what needed to be done."_

_"Well I did lead all those clubs, programs, and activities in school."_

_"The way you acted today, was more than that. You acted like the queen I want you to be; the queen that you are."_

_"I'm not a queen Klaus."_

_"You're my queen."_

_"And you're a king?"_

_"Yes."_

_"How do you figure that?"_

_"Well for one sweetheart, Marcel was claiming to be a king and now he's dead. That leaves us to take his place. Two, my family and I have always been considered royalty for vampires because we were the first. Three, I'm the original hybrid, and that means I'm also the alpha male for all werewolves. Of course, I'm considerate enough to share that role with my siblings. Elijah is also a king now, and Rebekah is a queen. Whomever we chose to be our companions will be a king or queen as well."_

_"Okay… that's a lot to consider."_

_"Not really love. The only thing you need to think about from all of that is that I choose you as my companion." _He said with a smile.

_"I can't be a queen, Klaus; I wouldn't even know where to start."_

_"Yes you can, and we have all the time in the world for you to be ready for it. I'm not rushing you on this."_

_"I know you wouldn't rush me, but there's no guarantee that I would be a good queen."_

_"You will be a great queen; the best ever love."_

_"Okay, let's change the subject before I start freaking out. Is everybody still awake?"_

_"I would say so. I think everyone is going to make sure you come out of here alive before they rest."_

_"Good because our clothes should be here and us girls have a surprise for everybody."_

_"Do you really? What surprise would that be love?"_

_"You'll just have to wait and see. Now, move over and let me go get some clothes on."_

_"Yes my queen." _He replied with a smirk. She growled for a moment before taking a breath and wrapping the cover around her. She grabbed her phone out of her ripped pants and headed for her room. She texted Rebekah that it was time to execute payback before taking a quick shower and fixing her fluffed up hair and smudged make-up. She wanted to look good for her revenge plan, so she went all out. When she skipped downstairs, Rebekah pulled her into a room that was behind the set up stage and curtain. She pointed her to the rack where all her clothes were at. The plan was to start with the formal clothes because they had the most material, and work their way down to the bikinis they had purchased. With sly smiles, all the girls set out to out on their first outfits. Caroline peeked out from behind the curtain to see all the guys standing there and focused her hearing in on them. They were wondering what all the girls were up to, and why they were so adamant on showing off their purchases. Stefan just voiced his opinion on it was a girl thing and to just humor them. Caroline gave her sly smile again before going and repeating everything to Rebekah and Katherine in a low voice so the men wouldn't hear them. Then they wrote everything down for Bonnie to read it. Rebekah talked into the microphone behind the curtain that they wouldn't be displaying casual clothes at all, but would be showing formal wear, date wear, going out wear, and swim wear. The vampire girls could hear the men gulp when she rattled off the last one and held back their laughs. Caroline wrote down their reaction and let Bonnie read it. She rolled her eyes with a smile before taking her place in line. The one thing that Rebekah had purposely failed to mention was that every single piece was of a revealing nature in some way or another.

Katherine was the first one up as she strutted her way out on the stage and looked to Elijah. She twisted and turned to pose for him as his face reddened and he had to loosen his tie. With satisfaction building inside of her, she left the stage so Bonnie could go up next. Bonnie had a dress that would show off the features that would develop further throughout her pregnancy. Jeremy's jaw dropped and Stefan had to put his hand on him to stop him from getting up. Jeremy gave him a look and Stefan laughed before taking a sip of beer. Stefan turned his head back around to see Bonnie leave the stage and Rebekah walk on. Stefan ended up coughing as he choked on his beer and his face reddened. Klaus gave a knowing smirk before turning and waiting on Caroline to come up on stage. Caroline stepped up in a red dress that was slit up her thigh and folded around her neck, revealing her whole back. Klaus' hybrid features came out and she had to stop herself from laughing. She kept posing and turning to let her dress lift from her leg before exiting the stage. They all had about 3 more formal outfits to show off before they moved on to date wear.

By the time they were done with formal wear, the guys had stopped drinking their beers and sat completely still with stuff in their laps to hide their appreciation for the garments. Rebekah announced date wear, and the guys knew it was only going to get worse. They all took off their jackets and Elijah took off his tie. The girls took their turns strutting across the stage in short dresses that either showed their backs or their breasts off. The guys were barely holding it together and the girls were worried they wouldn't make it to swimwear before their plan was interrupted. The guys didn't think their clothing could get any more revealing, but they were proved wrong with club wear. Elijah asked Katherine is she was sure her outfits were a good idea to wear out to a club, but she just smirked and went back behind the stage. He started rubbing his hands on his knees. Bonnie came out and Jeremy kept insisting that she shouldn't be going to a club anyway because she was pregnant, but she gave him a look and said 'girls night' before walking back behind the stage. Rebekah came out and Stefan asked Klaus if he was really going to let her go out in that, but Klaus was only worried about what Caroline was going to come out in. He didn't have to wonder long, as Caroline stepped up in a mini skirt and a shirt that only went below her breast and was tied on like a bathing suit. Klaus had been gripping the couch arm and seat next to him when everyone heard the furniture break. He was about to get up and flash to her but she held up her finger and ordered him to stay still or he would be losing out on an activity that he had recently discovered. Klaus looked to Stefan for help, but he only held up his hands in defeat. Caroline returned to her dressing rack, giving Rebekah a smile and telling her it was time for phase 2, before changing into her first bathing suit. All the girls had on one pieces, but there was still hardly anything to them when they each took the stage. By the time the girls made it to their final pieces, they knew they had won. They each put on their bikinis and they decided to walk out together. Katherine decided to go with a blood red bikini that had jewels outlining the edges and Elijah put his head in his hand. Bonnie had on a green and blue tie-dye bikini that had little beads hanging from the strings and edges. Rebekah had a hot pink suit that was trimmed in gold that shimmered when she turned. Caroline had a blue bikini that matched the color of the dress Klaus had given her at his family's ball and had tiny stripes of a lighter blue and silver running across like tiger stripes. The men could hardly contain themselves as they watched the girls turn around and started dancing on stage with each other. When they stopped, Rebekah spoke up.

_"Well guys, we hope you enjoyed the show. We're going for a swim now." _She said nonchalantly as they made their way towards the back of the house to go to the pool. The men were about to follow when the girls stopped and turned. Rebekah smiled before tilting her head. _"Where do you men think you're going? I said that we were going swimming. You guys have to put the stage up. Don't worry about the clothes, we already have that taken care of." _She finished and they turned and walked out. The guys stood there for a minute gaping at where the girls had been before turning and looking at each other.

_"Did we really just let them get away with ordering us?" _Klaus asked to no one in particular. Stefan turned to him.

_"Your sister was the one who told us to put everything up." _Stefan said.

_"And you really think she thought this up all on her own?"_

_"Niklaus you can't be suggesting that they did all of this to go against you." _Elijah chimed in.

_"Oh brother, I'm not suggesting they did this to get to me. I'm saying they all were involved to get to all of us."_

_"That makes no sense. I mean no offense to anyone when I say this, but Katherine doesn't really get along with anybody, Rebekah has only barely begun to get along with Caroline, but not so much Bonnie or Katherine, and Bonnie has no reason to be a part of something like that. I can see Katherine teasing Elijah and Bonnie teasing Jeremy; I can even see Caroline teasing Klaus, but what does Rebekah get out of it?"_

_"Stefan mate, don't pretend you didn't have your eyes glued on Rebekah every time she came up on that stage."_

_"I'm not denying it. She's always been beautiful, but are you really saying you'd let her out of the house in any of that?"_

_"She's a thousand years old Stefan. I'm not going to tell her what she has to wear. If she can't dress herself by now, then something's wrong."_

_"Are you prepared to let Caroline out of the house in her outfits?"_

_"Now that's a different story."_

_"No, it's not. You do remember I consider her my sister? I plan on making sure that neither she nor Rebekah goes out in that stuff."_

_"And how are you going to stop them mate? Last time I checked my sister was an original and Caroline has her own tricks."_

_"Let us think rationally for a moment gentlemen. If this was a game for the women, then we probably don't have to worry about them actually wearing the clothes out in public. If it wasn't just a game and they intend to wear the clothes, there's not much we can do to stop them since none of them take kindly to being ordered around. I think it's a mixture of the two scenarios. Let us deal with the matter when it arises." _ Elijah interrupted and set out to take down the stage. Jeremy followed him to get it over with quickly. Stefan went to put the sound system back in its place, and Klaus decided to finish off everyone's beers. He was still seething, so he went to speed through putting up the pieces from the stage. When the guys were done, they looked around and started heading to the women.

The women heard the men coming and quickly took their places for their next act. They had decided on body shots, and since Bonnie couldn't drink, she would pour the liquor on the girls and keep score on who was ahead of whom. Jeremy came up on Bonnie and asked her what she was doing and she replied that she was just keeping score in an innocently sweet voice. The other three girls exclaimed that they finally had the stage put up. The men looked at each other before looking back to see the girls taking turns with the body shots again. The guys tried to interrupt, but the girls said they weren't allowed to play unless they were dressed for it; so if they didn't go change into swimming trucks, they didn't get to join in. All of the guys ran back into the house and went on a hunt for swim shorts. Neither Klaus nor Elijah had any, so Jeremy loaned Elijah his spare and Stefan threw his spare at Klaus before they went back outside. Klaus and Elijah were grumbling as they changed, but managed to get into the shorts fairly quick. When they flashed back outside, they saw Jeremy taking a shot off of Bonnie and Stefan taking a shot off of Rebekah as Katherine and Caroline were flashing through their shots on each other. All the girls were laughing as it tickled getting licked. Elijah and Klaus flashed over and interrupted Katherine and Caroline before pushing them down on the table.

After another 30 minutes of taking shots, the girls pushed the guys away and got into the pool. The girls were splashing each other and laughing when Jeremy made the remark that they were acting like college girls at a keg party. The guys laughed because he was right and tried to get in the pool. The girls all turned and asked them to get them some drinks while they got out. The men groaned, but complied. They didn't know how much more torture the girls could give out, but they were afraid to ask. The girls walked up to get their drinks before saying they were going to change. All the girls walked back into the room they had been using and put on their club wear. Then they did each other's hair and make-up. When they walked out the guys were automatically stumbling while trying to stop them. The girls said they were going to go out to the club and that if the guys wanted to go, then they needed to go get dressed and meet them there. The girls left quickly after that, knowing they didn't tell the guys what club they would be at. Rebekah quickly disabled the GPS tracking system in the car before they took off. They parked their car at one of the bars downtown before Rebekah picked Bonnie up and they all flashed off in the opposite direction. They went to a club that Rebekah had seen, but not been to, and they all walked into the center of the room and started dancing. After a while they were dancing for fun instead of revenge; and they had turned down every guy that approached them. Some guys had to be compelled to leave them alone, but they didn't care. When they were all tired, they left the club and flashed back towards the car. They decided that it would be fun to get caught by the guys and went into the bar near their car. They started dancing again and had to compel most of the men to leave them alone, but alcohol made the vampires think everything was funnier. Bonnie was the only sober one there because she was pregnant, so she kept a lookout for the guys to show up.

When the guys showed up at the bar, they first look relieved to have found them, and then upset that they had managed to escape for that long. Bonnie gave the girls the look and they picked up their dancing. They all stood in a huddle and ground against each other before being pulled away by each guy. Bonnie, Jeremy, Katherine, and Elijah all made their ways outside. Stefan was trying to get Rebekah to leave too, but she acted mad and said she wasn't going until she got to dance some more, so he agreed to dance with her. Klaus had pulled Caroline's back against his chest and she continued dancing. Klaus knew what she was doing, so he started teasing her before leaning down to speak in her ear.

_"That was a naughty plan you women hatched up tonight love. Did you forget who you were going against?"_

_"What plan? We were just having fun." _She spoke as innocently as she could muster, feeling him pressed into her.

_"Come now sweetheart, you don't expect me to believe that you all didn't have an ulterior motive for putting on that show, your poolside actions, and disappearing to the bars with this clothing on?"_

_"Maybe we did, but maybe we didn't. Perhaps we just wanted to have a little fun. And that's what we did. We've had tons of fun shopping, showing off what we got, playing a drinking game, swimming, and clubbing. Sounds like a typical girl's night to me."_

_"And may I ask how often you plan to have these girl's nights love?"_

_"Well we used to have them every week, so I think we'll go back to that. I'm sure Rebekah and Katherine will be up for it."_

_"I don't know love; I did that you that you couldn't do anything dangerous."_

_"Oh but I'm not in danger, now am I?" _She spoke with her own smirk and roll of her hips. Klaus growled and turned her around to him. She ran her hands up his chest and placed one around the side of his neck. She could feel his erection pressing against her lower stomach as she leaned into him and stopped right in front of him. _"Am I?" _She teased again as she pulled back and tried to walk away. Klaus pulled her back and flashed them outside into the alley. He lifted her and pushed her up against the wall while pressing himself into her. They both released a groan before he spoke.

_"It's taking everything I have to keep from ripping those clothes off of you and taking you against this wall. The only thing stopping me is that I don't want anyone to see you in that state, but me." _He gritted his teeth when she took her hand and reached between them. She undid hid pants and reached in to grab him. He jerked under her touch and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

_"Who said the clothes had to come off?" _She leaned back and released his erection to push the front of his pants down. She slid her panties over before taking him again. He lifted her up enough to push help her guide him in. She barely got her hand back up before he started thrusting into her hard. Caroline threw her head back and bit her lip to keep from crying out. She didn't realize how hard she was biting down until she tasted the blood from her lip and released it with a grasp. Klaus pulled her lip into his mouth and sucked until it healed. Then he crushed his lips over hers to muffle the sounds coming from her as he sped up. He felt her tightening around him and reached to finger her clit while keeping her mouth covered with his. She screamed into him when she came and he moved his hand from her clit up under her shirt to play with her breast. He never slowed down and she felt herself getting close again and her vampires features came out, causing his hybrid features to show. She leaned forward and bit down on him and he bit her back. Her second scream was muffled by his neck as she came again. With a couple more thrust, Klaus followed her with his own release. He pulled away from her shoulder and licked as she copied his actions. He pulled out of her and tucked himself back into his pants before pulling her panties back in place and setting her down so he could close his pants and she could pull her skirt back down.

_"Are you ready to go back home now love?"_

_"Why should we go back right now? I'm pretty sure there are some woods around here that we could go see." _She said with a smirk. He chuckled at her remark.

_Are you suggesting that we have hot hybrid sex in the woods love?"_

_"Why not? We just had it in the alley, so what's wrong with a little stroll in the woods?"_

_"Oh there's nothing wrong love. I just figured you'd like to take this home. There are woods close by, there's the pool, the stables, multiple rooms in multiple houses, and I'm sure we can find more." _He answered with a smirk. Caroline felt herself heating back up as he was talking and he could tell. He didn't want to have another round in an alley, so he held out his arm with a look. She grabbed onto his arm and they flashed back to the mansion grounds. Caroline sent a text to everybody to let them know that she and Klaus wouldn't be home for a while so they wouldn't worry. Caroline saw Klaus leading her to the building where the witches had been staying and wondered what he was up to. She knew most of the witches had left to go back to their own homes, but a couple had stayed behind.

_"Where are we going?"_

_"I made you a promise. I promised we would do the memory transfer when the danger had passed. The danger has passed and I'm going to go through with that promise."_

_"I already chose to be with you. The memory transfer is kind of a moot point now."_

_"Yes, but there was also something I said that you would learn from it."_

_"Can't you just tell me? We don't have to do this."_

_"I want to do this. I want you to see how I've thought about you since I first saw you."_

_"So you want us to do that right now?"_

_"Yes love, I've had this information in my head for days and I want you to know it. If we take any more time, I'm going to spill it and then I won't get to see your reaction when you find out watching me find out. So, let's go see the witch."_

_"Alright, but after this we're going to the woods."_

_"That's fine by me sweetheart." _He replied as he opened the door and led her inside.


	17. Chapter 17

**Memories**

Klaus and Caroline followed the instructions of the witches and took their places on the floor. The witch informed Caroline that she would receive every memory that Klaus had of her; whether she was actually there or not. Even cases where she was in conversation or just in his thoughts, she would know. Caroline knew she would she would feel the betrayal she felt each time she had played the distraction, and was prepared for it, but she knew it was going to hurt anyway. She told the witch she was ready and closed her eyes. Klaus closed his eyes right after her and heard the witch chanting as they fell asleep.

When Caroline opened her eyes she watching the scene from the 60s dance and Klaus held her hand. She could hear his thoughts when he heard her laugh and when they all were on the lookout for him. She heard him ponder whether or not she should be the vampire for the sacrifice as the night went on. He was trying to stay on top of his task that night, but he kept thinking back to the "blonde beauty" until he was fighting with Bonnie. The scene forwarded to him talking to the witch that had kidnapped her for the sacrifice. The witch had asked him if it was time to gather the vampire and the werewolf and Klaus had paused thinking back to her. He kept thinking he would be seen as weak if he didn't give the order, but he didn't really want to use her. When he gave the order, he added that he wanted back-ups and sent the witch away. The scene forwarded again to when he had been that he had been informed that Caroline and Tyler had been rescued. He was glad that the little blonde didn't have to be used, but he pulled his mind back on task.

The next scene Caroline saw was when Klaus was on his way back to Mystic Falls with Stefan. He had been pondering why he couldn't make hybrids and Caroline came up into his thoughts. He wondered what the blonde had been up to since the ritual. He smiled at the thought of seeing her again before the scene forwarded to the school. He had wondered if he would see her there and had been a little disappointed to learn she was with Tyler. When he turned Tyler into a hybrid, he tried to drown out her screams as Tyler fell to the floor finishing the transition. He admired her loyalty to the boy and how she wasn't afraid for herself that night. She remembered that she had bent down to Tyler when they were walking out, but she hadn't noticed that he looked back at her. He had wanted to spend more time around her, but he put his mind back on his hybrids.

The scenes changed quickly for a little while as he thought of her each time Tyler had been around him; like homecoming or as he was thinking of a way to get his family back. He didn't want to use her, but he thought it would be the easiest fix to use her as leverage. She heard his thoughts as he told Tyler to bite her. He didn't want to do it to her, but he figured Elena or Damon would somehow convince Stefan to give in. It didn't work the way he had planned and he learned that Stefan was about to drive Elena off the bridge; they didn't have any control over Stefan. Tyler had come back to let him know that he had bit Caroline and Matt had taken her home. After the scene changed, she saw him as he walked into her room the night he had healed her. He was feeling remorse as he saw the state she was in and noticed her birthday cards. He hadn't known it was her birthday. When she had started talking, he had used her birthday as a way to keep her calm, but ended asking her thoughts of him. He had suspected she didn't think he was anything but a monster and her answer confirmed it. He wanted to make it up to her, but he needed to see how bad the bite was. He lifted up the sheet and noticed it was getting really bad; she wouldn't last too much longer. He apologized to her and she had thought then that he wasn't serious about it, but he was. He couldn't figure out why she wasn't begging him to save her and looked like she had accepted her death. He kept thinking of a way to fix it while they talked. He was surprised that she had joked to him about his age before her resigned face came back when she said she was dying. So, he decided to tempt her to live. He told her about what she could see with having immortality. He knew it was working when she just looked at him and listened as he described things she hadn't seen. She felt his relief when she said she didn't want to die and heard every thought as he played with her hair as she drank from him. The scene changed to later that night when she was sleeping and he brought the bracelet to her. He set it down on the nightstand before pulling back her cover to look at where the bite had been. He had traced his finger along the area and she moved in her sleep. He jumped back and pulled the cover back over her. She heard his thoughts as he watched her for a minute before leaving. She didn't know that she had stayed in his thoughts as he went back home. He was wondering what he could do to get to know her; he had hoped the bracelet would help him out at least a little since she seemed to like bracelets.

The scene forwarded again to when his mother was talking about the ball and she asked who he was going to invite for his date. He thought of Caroline and made his way out to go get her a dress. When he had it, he went by her house to see her standing with her head turned from the door while talking on the phone. He didn't want to get caught staring, so he put the box down and knocked before flashing out of sight. From his spot he saw her look out the door before opening it and picking up the box with a confused expression. He flashed to a new spot to watch as she opened it. He had difficulty suppressing his laughter as she opened the card and said "Seriously?" but when he saw her curiosity get the best of her as she opened the box he smirked. He was a little disappointed to see her put the lid back on it so quickly but his amusement came back when she couldn't figure out why he had invited her and gave her a dress.

She watched as Klaus was leaving his room and heading downstairs to scan the crowd for her, and eventually sit to wait on her. She heard his thoughts about how some of the women that approached him were just too predictable. He had caught her scent as she entered and turned to see her. She heard him thinking about how beautiful she was that night, and how he thought she was nervous in their house so she ran off to get a drink. His thoughts changed as she kept trying to run off that night. He had begun thinking that she wasn't trying to avoid him out of nervousness and she just really didn't like him. He was thrilled when it came time for the dance. He knew from Tyler that she would be a wonderful dancer because of how Tyler complained that Caroline was always involved in the town events. She watched as his eyes followed her all night and he kept trying to think of a way to impress her. She felt his nervousness as he showed her his artwork and how he wondered if she would know they were his. He had felt ecstatic when she asked him about it and thought he could keep her interests with talking about the world. She was surprised that he had meant it when he had offered to take her places. She felt his temper rise when she called him on his actions, but he didn't want to hurt her so he told her to leave. He had been amazed when she didn't leave and stood up to him some more. The amazement turned to disappointment when she threw the bracelet at him and he realized that he had messed up again. His mind kept thinking about how to talk to her again when he thought of how she liked his drawings, so he pulled out his sketchbook and quickly drew her and the horse before writing out his message to her. He wanted her to see it when she got home, so he flashed there and put it in the box and placing it on her bed. Then he left to hide and wait to see her reaction. He only felt more hopeless as she kept getting frustrated with him, but when she saw the picture, he felt better. He had hoped it would help him get back in her favor, and he was happy she didn't throw it away or rip it up.

The scene skipped to the night at the grill when he was drinking with Kol. He had felt a surge of jealousy and possession when Kol had spoken about her, but it changed to curiosity when he started talking to her. He had been wondering if she had thought about him at all as he followed her out of the grill. She felt his determination to talk to her some more and his embarrassment when the car had nearly hit him in his pursuit. He tried amusement and enthusiasm to get her to talk to him and was happy when he thought it had worked. She heard his thoughts as he enjoyed their conversation, and then his suspicion when he felt Kol being daggered. He didn't want to think she had anything to do with it, but all of the betrayals in his life came into his mind and he was shaking her before he could stop himself. She had told him to stop and looked around. He knew it had to be Kol and was afraid he would hurt her if he stayed so he flashed to his brother. The next memory was the disappointment and sadness he felt as he went to his sketchbook and started tearing the drawings out to burn them. She watched as the betrayal he felt lasted until he was told that Alaric had her and Elena hostage at the school. She heard him think that he had to have Elena to make hybrids and the betrayal he felt wasn't worth her losing her life.

When she saw him walking towards the school, she heard everyone talking about how to get them out, but mainly Elena and felt his annoyance. He had stopped thinking about Elena and was focusing on Caroline. When he went into the building, he saw Caroline stop running and turn to look behind her and flashed to her feeling relief she was alive. It turned to anger when he saw the shape she was in and he wanted to kill Alaric. He was still thinking about her when the rest of the fight happened and he thought of how much more she would hate him when he took Elena to drain her of her blood. She felt him getting desiccated and he thought of whether or not she had made it to safety with all the things happening that he couldn't stop.

The next thing she saw was when he was in Tyler's body and she ran into cellar looking for Tyler. He didn't want her to know he was alive and had to make her believe that he had died and Tyler would be dying soon. So, he played along, regretting that he couldn't let her know, but it was for everyone's safety. When she had kissed him thinking he was Tyler, he regretted that he had pretended to be him, but was enjoying feeling her kiss him because he thought he wouldn't ever really know another way. He kept thinking about her without Bonnie knowing until he heard Caroline had been taken by the council. He flashed out to rescue her and saw her with his sister. He kept thinking he was glad she was alive, but worried about her as the other cruiser was on the way back, so he worked quickly and revealed to Rebekah he was alive. She chuckled as she watched them in the woods and felt how he had tried to stop her, but lost the willingness when he saw her start stripping. She felt when she hit him and his amusement as they bantered. While walking away, he realized that he wanted her more than he had before for the passion and loyalty she gave to those she cared about.

She saw them in the with Bonnie and Jeremy when Klaus threatened to rip Tyler's heart out; she felt his determination to be back in his own body, but heard his thoughts and knew that he really wasn't going to do it, but he needed them to believe he would. She saw that his only thought when he saw Hayley at Tyler's was how hurt she would be when she found out about them. He knew they had really had an affair because he could smell it all over them. She heard him think of how much he wanted to be there for her, but knew she wouldn't let him. She saw the fake break-up between herself and Tyler, while hearing Klaus try to offer them some privacy out of respect and care for her. She wanted to cry because it had been one big mess and she had lied to him. She could feel Klaus trying to comfort her as the scenes sped on to the night at the grill that he offered up a hybrid for a date before the day of the pageant. He was being honest with her the whole time, and she had been lying to him. She knew it was only going to get worse from there. She saw the night of the hybrid massacre and how his thoughts drifted to his revenge on Tyler; he was trying to figure out how to carry out revenge without hurting or killing her. Thinking further, he knew he couldn't kill her and tried to block her from his mind. When she saw him kill Carol, he thought he was beyond hope of getting Caroline to even talk to him again. The scenes skipped forward and she saw that he had been coming by her house nightly to see if she was okay before heading back home.

The night he bit her started displaying and she felt each emotion that passed through him as she had called him out on his actions. She regretted saying the last part as soon as she said it, but she felt his temper snap as he stabbed her and then bit into her neck. He felt remorse, but his thoughts were consumed with how much she hated him and he was going to really give her a reason to hate him; he would show her how much of a monster he could be. Caroline felt herself shaking as she kept feeling his emotions and hearing his thoughts as she was laying on the couch dying before she spoke. He thought she was going to trick him again or try to make a deal, but hadn't expected her to be right about him. He was hurt, but he didn't want to admit it. He wanted to find out what her point in saying there's was a part of him human. As the conversation continued and he felt his heart shattering with every painful breath she took. He did his best not to show what he was feeling, but she spoke correct again with saying he was in love with her; he hadn't fully believed it until then. He was stuck between revenge and his love for her. He tried to play it off by saying she was hallucinating, but he knew she was right. Pure panic set in when he breathing faltered and she began her last moments. Klaus knew he had to decide fast, and gave in to his feelings. He was frightened that he had taken too long as he lifted her and bit into his wrist, placing it against her mouth. Until she latched on, he held his breath hoping he had acted in time. Relief spread when he knew she was alive, followed by sadness thinking that she would still not think of him like that. He felt her hand and wished she would keep it there. When she fell asleep, he watched over her. He kept glancing between her and Kol's covered body thinking of how close he came to losing two people he loved that night instead of one; and how both of them were his fault.

He had watched her until she had woken up and walked away from him to start working with her friends on their hunt for the cure again. Throughout that day he was impressed with her knowledge and determination as they discussed Aramaic and the sword. She heard him think that she could do better than an idiot who didn't know what Aramaic was when it's in movies, books, and talked about at school. She wanted to laugh at that thought, but just nodded. It flowed on to that night when she was begging for Tyler's life. He kept thinking of all the times she could have begged for something and she had to waste it on Tyler. He decided to make him live a life like Katerina had; always on the run looking over his shoulder. She saw them on the porch after the barrier had dropped and Tyler had fled as he walked to her. When she stood up, he knew to make sure she knew he wasn't going to hurt her. When she told him that he had done enough, he knew she was slipping further away from him again and he tried to appeal to her again, but gave up and left. He didn't go far because he heard her crying before she stopped herself and pressed on. He slept with Hayley soon after, but hated himself for doing it and imagined it was Caroline. She heard Hayley talk about her and Tyler to seduce him into it, but he was only thinking about the pain he felt from Caroline's rejections.

The next time he saw her he blamed himself for her drinking, but decided to get her to stop, so he provoked her. It backfired when she lifted the cup and drank anyway, so he tried to reason with her. That didn't work either and she felt the disappointment he felt towards himself for making her hate him. She saw Stefan talking, but he didn't care too much about what he was saying until Caroline chimed in. His feelings shifted towards her again when she peaked his interest in the last massacre, and agreed so he knew she wouldn't put herself in more danger. He paid attention to her as the night progressed and she figured out who would e massacred and where a possible location would be. He was proud of her for being able to figure out as much as she did, but was humored when he showed her the other possible location. He listened to her speak back to him and gazed at her before Stefan interrupted them. He wanted to hurt Stefan in that moment because he didn't know where he and Caroline might have ended up at if they had just a few more minutes alone. She saw the trip to the woods as they kept bantering and then when they spilt from Stefan. He was frustrated with her when she kept making remarks against him when they had been getting along. He figured it was because she had been reminding herself of everything he had done again. She felt his pain when she pretty much told him he wasn't able to be fixed. He thought that she was trying to push him away from her again so he gave into her and they flashed to the other location. She heard him think that he had to be the bad guy again and keep Stefan from going after the witches; he hadn't expected her to do it. She had stayed with him after as he buried the witches and he kept trying to figure out what they had unleashed with Silas. She watched as she came to the realization of what had done and Klaus returned her actions from before, but wished he hadn't when she ran away from him. When he saw Silas appear as Shane, he hoped Caroline made it away safely before the scene ended.

The new setting opened with Klaus calling her for help and thinking that she wouldn't come because of what he had said to her. She saw herself walk in, but something was different. She heard Klaus tell her it was Silas and she focused on the scene in front of her. She felt sick when Silas had put his hand of Klaus' face while appearing as her and giving him false hope. Klaus was wishing that Silas would use anybody but Caroline to torture him. It kept playing on until she heard her real self enter the house while hearing Klaus think she was Silas again. He felt hope when Caroline start talking about the prom committee; he knew Silas wouldn't be worried about that. He felt relief when he knew it was really her, but the pain set in and blocked his thoughts. She felt the pain he felt when she dug around in his back looking for the stake that Silas had made him believe was in him. He felt aggravation when Caroline refused to help him until he did as she asked, but the pain set in again. She felt bad for making him wait so long in pain now that it was all over, but continued watching. She saw them start arguing and felt his pain disappear when she yelled at him. He was feeling so much at that moment because of her that it pushed Silas' mind trick away from him. She felt him want to let her know that he was grateful to her before she voiced her concerns about Silas. She felt the need to protect her rise from him, but she had walked away to clean up the mess he had caused to distract herself. He had gone to clean himself up while thinking about how he could fix things with her. He knew she would ask for Tyler, but he couldn't give in. She saw herself walk past him and he reached for her arm before he could stop himself. He thanked her again and he was laughing inside when she told him not to call her again because she had to plan prom. After asking about Tyler, he saw her disappointment and tried to recover by pointing out that he wasn't looking for him. When he saw the tiniest of smiles and the tilt of her head he couldn't help but smile and hope that they could start moving forward.

She saw herself talking about how Elena stole her prom dress and felt him start wondering what she was doing there. She watched as she built up to ask him for a dress and felt him being happy that she had come to him for help instead of someone else. She saw him standing outside on the porch of the Lockwood mansion when Tyler stepped out and fought against his want to kill him so he wouldn't hurt Caroline before Tyler fled from him. He turned towards the door and thought about knocking but assumed she wouldn't want to have anything to do with him and would probably scream at him or accuse him of something, so he left.

She saw him go to New Orleans and look around before pulling out his phone and calling her. When she didn't answer he smiled, thinking she had ignored him on purpose before leaving her the message she had listened to many times. She saw him in the cemetery when Hayley had walked in and wondered if she had told the witches about Caroline, before the witches told him that Haley was pregnant. Right then he didn't believe it, but heard the heartbeat. After hearing the heartbeat, he wished it was Caroline that was carrying his child. He thought that if she knew she wouldn't ever speak to him again for sure. He told the witches that he didn't care and to kill her. As he walked out, he thought of what Caroline would tell him to do. She would probably yell at him for sleeping with Hayley in the first place and then yell some more for not taking responsibility. He was still debating everything when Elijah had come and started talking to him. His thoughts drifted until he heard from Rebekah about what had happened since he was gone and instantly worried about Caroline. She saw him react to Rebekah telling him about Silas making her cut herself repeatedly and how she had to slap her to get her out of it. He was thinking about what he would have done to Rebekah if slapping Caroline hadn't worked. He was still upset that she had done it, but relieved that it had worked. Everything zoomed to when he received her graduation announcement. He thought Rebekah must have given her the address to send it to. He was worried that someone there could have seen it and used Caroline against him, but kept it on him as he packed a bag and left. He didn't stop until he got to the stage and couldn't see Caroline. Panic set in since he knew the veil had dropped from Rebekah. He listened in to hear her and heard her in pain, while the witch said her name. He grabbed a cap and flashed to throw it. When the others stopped being in pain he spoke thinking about the pleasure he would get from killing them because they hurt her. As the day progressed from there, he sent his blood to heal Damon and watched her. Seeing her smile was all he needed to figure out what he needed to do. She would never care for him when he threatened the ones she loved and Tyler was one of them. He had to let him go and let them run their course before she would care for him like he cared for her. She also needed someone there for her when he left again. She felt his emotions as he walked towards her at the stadium and she turned. She felt his sorrow deepen as he released Tyler from his banishment, but felt his hope grow when she smiled and he stated that he intended to be her last love and she didn't reject or deny it. He wanted to kiss her badly, but knew she wouldn't allow it the way he wanted it, so he kissed her on the cheek to show his love and say goodbye. He made sure to not let his sadness for leaving show and covered it with humor about the hybrids as he walked her out of there.

When he left town again, he tried to focus on the problems in New Orleans, but he allowed himself a moment wish he didn't have to leave her behind. He knew it would be too dangerous for her there until he took back over, but the selfish part of him wanted to go back and grab her. He made himself leave, but swore to himself that he would be back someday or she would eventually come to him. She saw bits and pieces of his life in New Orleans when he would draw her, miss her, or worry about how she was doing. He would always picture her and Tyler together to keep himself in check around his enemies. When he found Tyler's vehicle and smelled his scent, he knew Tyler had left Caroline, but a part of him wondered if she knew his plan or not. He had to focus on his task and quickly shifted his thoughts. She saw him and Tyler talking in the woods and watched closely as Klaus mentioned her to get Tyler to back down, but it didn't work. She heard Klaus think about how much he wanted to kill Tyler for multiple reasons, but didn't. He didn't think Caroline would believe him if he told her that he did it to protect the child he thought was his. She saw Klaus feeling completely alone after the fight with Elijah and Rebekah while he was hoping that Caroline didn't hate him and wishing that he could look forward to seeing her again, but he doubted it. She saw him hoping she would understand when Tyler was put in the garden, before everything flashed to when she called him. He wondered if she was calling to find out about Tyler, but was surprised by what all she had told him.

She saw his fear for her as he waited on her to go into her house. She saw him getting everything ready to leave and contacting everyone he needed to as she was attacked and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had heard the witch talk about the spell and felt everything falling apart. She saw him and Elijah racing towards Mystic Falls and catching up to her with Stefan and Bonnie. She saw everything he had done for her and everything he felt when he thought he was going to lose her for good, but refused to give up. She saw how everybody tried to help her and he focused on her while Elijah focused on Katherine and then Hayley after confessed to Tyler and killed him. She saw herself make it back into her body and Klaus filled with relief that would survive. When they went to New Orleans, she saw the incident regarding the fertility spell and huffed in embarrassment because Klaus had been thinking about her the entire time he read over it. She felt his excitement as he longed to tell it to her before Rebekah told him that Caroline had went to talk to him. He didn't know whether she was missing on purpose or if someone had taken her until he talked to Elijah again and figured it out. She saw the hope return when she knew the rest of the information regarding the spell, as well as his determination rise when she pulled herself back into her own world. She watched him discussing mates and if it would happen to him and how to determine if she was his. She felt the panic rising in her when he ran to get her blood for the spell. She bit her lip to keep from making any sounds as she watched the spell be performed and then explained. If she could have fainted, she would have when she heard that they were mates. She felt Klaus grab onto her to support her for the rest of the spell and watched as she accepted him and he felt like everything was finally coming together for them. She watched as they went on their date, after their date, the next morning, while she was gone shopping, Davina's attack, when Caroline saw and stopped the attack, their argument, making up, the girls' payback on the men, him looking for her that night, the dancing, and then them in the alley. Everything started speeding up signaling the spell was nearly finished and she braced herself for waking up. She saw them flashing back to the mansion and felt Klaus nearly telling her that they were mates when he decided it was safe enough to do the memory transfer and then them lying down. The last thought she heard of his was him wishing for her to not run away from him when she knew everything.


	18. Chapter 18

**Waking Discussions**

Caroline came out of the spell gasping and Klaus shot up next to her before leaning over to check on her. Her head was still pounding from everything she now knew that she could barely hear him asking her if she was alright. She nodded and held up a finger to let him know to give her a minute before grabbing her head and lying back down to let the effects pass. When the throbbing receded she sat back up and turned over on her knees and elbows with her head still in her hands. Klaus knew the headache she would get from the transfer so he rubbed her back and asked the witches to go and get some blood for her. When they returned, he tore open the tubing and handed her the bag. She sat up so she wouldn't spill it and sucked it dry. Her vampire features were still out and her eyes were still closed so he got another one ready for her. After handing it to her, he opened one for himself, draining it quickly. He asked her if she wanted another one but she shook her head and he waited. When Caroline's headache slacked off she opened her eyes. She saw Klaus right beside her and noticed he had been rubbing her back. She was upset that he didn't tell her about being mates, but understood why he didn't say anything. He had thought that either she wouldn't believe it, or she wouldn't accept it; wouldn't accept him.

_"Are you alright love?"_

_"I'll be fine. My head is still hurting, but give me a minute to process everything."_

_"Sure love. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." _He answered and watched her think about everything she had just learned. He watched the different emotions cross her face before she swallowed and looked at him.

_"You were frustrated with me because you couldn't get me out of your head when you first saw me. You then plan to use me as leverage when you already knew that you were going to save me. You save my life to start stalking me and then can't figure out why no matter how many times I hurt you, I won't leave your mind. You realize you're in love with me after you try to kill me and I point it out for you. Then you heal me again and keep thinking of ways to get me to forgive you, but I just keep hurting you. I still don't leave your head, even when you sleep with the were-slut and think you knocked her up. You come back and saved our lived at graduation before you leave again. I call you and you come running as soon as you know what's happening. I push you away over and over again and you still do everything you can to bring me back; including getting every memory that I had. You know all of the things I've done and been through and you're still there. You bring me and my friends here to make a new life. You find out that there's a spell that can let vampire get pregnant and you automatically think about me being knocked up. You find out that we are mates and you keep it from me, but tell other people that also keep it from me. You keep pushing and I finally give into you, but low and behold I'm saving your lives and sparing a teenage girl that got into things she shouldn't have. You get mad because I stood up for you after you waited so long for me to be on your side. Then I yell at you and you come upstairs and put me up against the wall. We make up and you decide to tell me that you're a king in more ways than you before telling me that you chose me to be your queen. I tell you I'm not queen material but you don't give up. So I change the subject and then distract you with the other girls and we get revenge for being treated like dolls and it leaves you frustrated that you don't get your relief as we drag it out. Me and the girls disappear for a couple hours at different bars and you guys show up. Instead of dragging me out of there like I thought you would do, you start dancing with me and teasing. I tease back and decide to walk away and leave you frustrated and you flash us to the alley and tell me that you are barely holding yourself back from me. I have a moment where I don't care who could walk into that alley because every part of me is screaming for you to lose control, so I take matters into my own hands and find a way we both get what we want. I tell you I don't want to go home and that I want to continue what we did in the alley and you brought me here. I find out everything you have thought about me the last couple years and felt your feelings grow, as well as for fear of me forever rejecting you. I say what is going through my head in a rant and you are sitting there looking at me like I've either lost my mind or I'm going to run back out that door and you won't see me again. I told you that I chose you before I knew about this. I understand why you thought I would change my mind, but after everything that's happened and what you've done for me, why would I?"_

_"You said yourself you didn't think you would be a good queen. That tells me that you don't want to be."_

_"But that has nothing to do with choosing you."_

_"Yes it does love. I can share the load with Elijah and Rebekah, but they won't ever let me give it up completely."_

_"I know that you came up with an agreement with them. Can I not be with you and not be queen until I know for sure I can be one?"_

_"Elijah and Rebekah are going to rule for the next 20 years here. That gives us 20 years to just be us before I have to come back for my 10 years. I want you to come back with me as my queen then. You wouldn't have to be queen until then; and even then, you could still be with me, but I would have to be here then."_

_"That works for now. But, in 20 years, if I don't want to be a queen you will have to accept that you would rule and I wouldn't."_

_"That's 20 years from now. I'm sure you will be more than ready, but I will not force you to do that if you do not want to. I'll give you all the time you need to make that decision for yourself. And about the fertility spell; as much as I would love for you to be the one that bears my children, that will be for you to decide as well when you're ready."_

_"That will probably take a while too. How do we know what's going to happen in the next few months, years, decades, or even centuries? We don't and I don't know what I feel about bringing a child into this world and not knowing whether or not it would be safe and have a normal life. We're still pretty new to being together, so you might want to hold off on the baby talk for a while."_

_"So, you're not telling me a definite no?"_

_"No, it's a maybe; sometime far in the future when we don't have enemies barking at the door every 5 minutes. I know that's been your life for over a thousand years, so you see my reluctance to believe that all of the danger has passed."_

_"You're right love, but I already told you that you would be the one to decide when you thought we could. There are other things to do first. I need to take you to see the world, I know you are going to want to spend as much time with Bonnie as you can, there's New Orleans' problem, and I'm sure we'll find something else along the way."_

_"We'll just have to take this one day at a time then."_

_"That works for me love."_

_"Since we're getting everything out in the open, I'm going to tell you what I realized when I saw Davina attacking you."_

_"And what is that sweetheart."_

_"I suspected it, but I didn't know for sure until then, but I'm in love with you too."_

_"I've been wondering when you would figure it out."_

_"I know you have. I pointed it out to you when I knew you were in love with me, and then everybody pointed it out that I was in love with you, but I wanted to know for myself. When I thought I was going to lose you after everything that has happened and we finally got past it all, I knew I wouldn't want to be without you anymore. When I thought that, it only made sense I felt that way because I love you."_

_"I love you too sweetheart. Now, how about we go inside and let the others know what we've been up to and what we want to do now?"_

_"No walk in the woods?"_

_"I could be persuaded into a side trip, but I think all of us will feel better if we get everything discussed."_

_"And how could you be persuaded?"_

_"I guess you have until we reach the house to come up with something." _He replied with a smirk and she growled. He stood up and offered hid hand to help her up. She was plotting way to get him into the woods when an idea ran through her head. They stepped outside and she flashed to the woods. She saw Klaus following her and took her shirt off and leaving it on a branch before flashing off further. She stopped again to take off her skirt and hanging it up. She flashed off a couple more times until she was completely naked and hid behind a tree close to where she had hung up her panties. She grinned when she heard him stepping through the woods, followed by the sound of her panties being pulled off the branch. He knew she was close by because her scent was strong, so he looked around for her and started stripping his clothes. He followed her scent until it grew stronger as he silently crept forward. Caroline stopped hearing his movements and turned her head to peak around the tree. When she didn't see him, but saw the pile of their clothes, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She turned her head back around to stand up and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Klaus on her other side and he tackled her to the ground. She erupted into a fit of laughter as he pushed her back to the ground and crawled on top of her. When her laughter died down, she noticed how they were positioned and felt him pressing into her thigh. She immediately started to heat up and her chest was still heaving from laughing so hard. She reached up and pulled him down to her. She could feel his hands teasing her breast before moving down to glide across her folds. She reached down to wrap her hand around him and pump. His control started slipping as she moved her hips and tried to guide him in, so he grabbed her arms and slammed them down above her head. He pushed into her the rest of the way and she arched her back up. Her hands balled into fists as she tried to break loose so she could touch him, but she knew she wouldn't be able to. The wolf in him was too strong in its need to dominate his mate, so she stopped fighting and let him direct the. When they were nearing there ends, Klaus grit his teeth and say "mine" and she said "yours" before saying "mine" herself and Klaus growled "yours" out before she fell over the edge, taking him with her. He pulled out and she felt the loss above her. She lay still until she heard a set of bones cracking.

When she looked up she saw a wolf making its way to her slowly. She bolted upright and pulled her knees into her chest. She hadn't seen Klaus in his wolf worm and she didn't know whether or not she should try to run. She knew he would probably catch her if she ran but he stopped right in front of her face and sniffed around her. She didn't know if was in control of his wolf form, so she hesitantly reached her hand out to him. His muzzle sniffed at her before licking her hand and nuzzling up her arm. She slowly pet his fur as he made his way up her arm and rested his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him as best as she could. When he pulled back, she watched as he stared at her before darting over to their clothes and dragging hers to her. When she was clothed again, she picked up his clothes and sat down next to him. He let her look over him knowing she hadn't been able to be this close to a werewolf without having to run. When she was done, she reached her hands to play with the fur behind his ears and on his neck while smiling at him. She rested her forehead against the top of his head before she looked at him and nodded to let him know she was done and to change back. He stepped back from her and she cringed when she heard his bones snapping to change back. She was thankful that his transformation didn't last long and he sat back down. She picked up his clothes and scooted to him. She lightly rubbed his back and he looked up at her. She handed him his clothes and started getting dressed. She waited until he was clothed before she said anything.

_"So what was that about?"_

_"You accepted me in this form, but I wanted your acceptance in my wolf form. You didn't run; I thought you might."_

_"I didn't know if you were in control or not. You didn't attack so I assumed you were."_

_"I was in control the whole time. I moved slowly so you wouldn't panic on me."_

_"If I had run, I wouldn't have been able to outrun you anyway."_

_"Most likely not, but I wasn't going to hurt you. My scent is all over you; I could barely detect your own."_

_"I figured you were different before you turned. Your alpha male side came out."_

_"I am the alpha male love."_

_"I know, but I was sort of surprised that you wouldn't let my hands go. I wanted to touch you."_

_"Well love, that was the whole point; my alpha male side, as you call it, needed your submission. Have you not looked up at all tonight?"_

_"No."_

_"It's a full moon love. There are wolves that hide in the forest and swamps of New Orleans. If they had come by, they would have had to back down; especially with me turned. As much as I enjoyed your little game of hide and seek, it brought out the urge to protect and dominate you."_

_"So, not only were you getting me to accept your wolf form, you were in a way marking your territory?"_

_"In a way yes. Now, how about we head back to the house?"_

_"You just pointed out a full moon… I say what are we waiting for?" _She replied and he lifted her off the ground. When they were both on their feet, they flashed back to the mansion. When they were inside they could hear that everyone was either asleep or soundproofing their rooms, so he led her upstairs. She stopped in her room and grabbed some night clothes from her dresser before running into her bathroom to get her shower supplies. She walked back out to him and they went into his room. She walked over to his bathroom door and waited on him to grab his stuff for a shower. They walked into the bathroom and Caroline groaned at herself in the mirror, causing Klaus to chuckle behind her. He started helping her pull the leaves and twigs out of her hair and throwing them in the trash. They stripped down and jumped into the shower. He let her wash up first and then she waited on him to wash up. Afterwards, when they were dried off and clothed, he led her back to his bedroom. Her hair was still wrapped up in a towel, so they sat on the bed with his behind her as he pulled the towel off and patting her hair with it. She realized she had forgotten her hair dryer in her room, but didn't want to go get it, so she let him towel dry her hair. After it was only damp, he ran his fingers through it before braiding it down the back of her head. When he was done she turned and smiled at him while he smiled back. They decided it would be best to leave talking to everyone for in the morning.


	19. Chapter 19

**Confessions and Planning**

Klaus woke up before Caroline, so he decided to go to her room and find her some clothes for when she woke up. When he walked out of the room, Rebekah was coming down the hallway.

_"Is Caroline in your room?"_

_"Yes. Why?"_

_"Good; everyone was wondering what happened to you and her last night."_

_"She's fine Rebekah; she's still asleep. I was heading to her room to get some clothes for her before she woke up."_

_"I'll get them for you. You wouldn't be able to think like her on clothes."_

_"Well I have managed to find two different dresses that she liked in the past, so I think I'm capable of finding her an outfit."_

_"Those were dresses Nik. I know the outfit she wanted to wear today. It was one of the casual outfits she bought yesterday that you didn't see. Don't worry; it's nothing too revealing."_

_"Fine; go grab the bloody clothes and I'll grab her a blood bag." _He answered as he flashed downstairs, retrieved the blood bag, and flashed back up to see Rebekah waiting for him with the clothes. He took them from her and she walked off with a smirk. He took her stuff into his room and placed them next to the bed before getting dressed himself. He was about to start drawing her again when she stirred and looked around to find him. She gave him a smile and then noticed her clothes and the blood bag.

_"Let me guess… Rebekah told you which clothes to bring me?"_

_"I was heading to your room to pick you out something when she came into the hallway. She said she knew what you wanted to wear, so I let her get it for you while I went a got you the blood bag. Apparently, everyone is worried about your well-being after your behavior last night."_

_"I don't think they're worried about me. I think she said that to rile you up and get us to leave the bedroom."_

_"Perhaps you're right, but we have to talk to everybody anyway. I have to tell them that we did the memory transfer and that you are aware of the fact that we're mates. You have to tell them the decisions you've come to."_

_"I need to talk to Bonnie for sure. I don't want to be too far from her since she's pregnant. I don't know where she and Jeremy are going to go or what they're going to do."_

_"I know you care for her well-being love; I wouldn't take you away from her for good."_

_"I know you wouldn't. Do you think Stefan is going to go with us if we go, or do you think he's going to stay with your sister?"_

_"Before last night, I would have guessed he would have come with us, but after seeing them all over each other in the bar, I think he'll be conflicted or stay with her."_

_"I think they should stay together."_

_"You know there's the possibility of them both following us around love."_

_"I doubt it. He might come to visit, but I doubt he'd want to live with us."_

_"We'll see in a few minutes love. Where would you like to go?"_

_"Europe, but I want to see what Bonnie is going to do. She'll probably want to stay in one place since she's pregnant."_

_"She probably will. I can set her up anywhere they want to go and have protection ordered for them. You can still see the world love, and we can come back whenever you want."_

_"Even if we all split ways, we should all come back here at least once or twice a year, plus holidays."_

_"We'll see what everyone agrees on sweetheart, so don't get carried away yet."_

_"I'm not; I'm simply trying to think of ways we can all stay in contact." _She said with a smirk of her own. He was about to say something to her when they heard a knock at the door. Klaus opened the door and saw Stefan.

_"She's perfectly fine mate; we'll be down in a few minutes."_

_"That's not why I'm here. We have a visitor. You two might want to come down now."_

_"Who is it?"_

_"Just come down and see." _He replied as he walked away. Klaus shut the door and Caroline jumped up to get dressed as quick as she could. They flashed downstairs to see Elena standing in the living room with everyone surrounding her. Caroline noticed the look of hatred from her former best friend and fixed her features to indifference.

_"Mind telling me what Elena is doing here anyone?"_

_"I can speak for myself. Where's Damon?"_

_"Damon took off with that Enzo guy. If he wanted you to find him, he would have let you find him."_

_"I don't believe you. Just tell me where he is and I'll go."_

_"I suggest you find a witch to tell you that. That's the only way to find him."_

_"Well bring me one. This is all your fault, so you owe me that. You took everyone from me."_

_"I didn't take everyone from you Elena; they left you because you couldn't see anything but what you wanted to see. You had everyone loyal to you while all of them were getting hurt for you."_

_"Because you came into our lives."_

_"You can believe what you want to believe Elena; I really don't care about anything regarding you. Everyone here is here by choice."_

_"You mean compelled."_

_"No I mean they chose to come here on their own. I know all of them are still taking vervain because I supply it to them. But, you aren't going to believe me, so how about you just leave?"_

_"Bring me a witch and I will."_

_"Go find your own Elena. The quarter is filled with them. Just don't make the mistake of plotting against me again because they will let me know. All of them work for us now. We gave them the freedom to practice their magic without being persecuted for it, so long as they don't try to plot against us."_

_"You won't do anything to me because you know they would never forgive you for it and then you wouldn't have them on your side anymore."_

_"Why don't you let them decide that for themselves?" _He answered with a smirk as each person stood up to go stand next to or behind Klaus. Caroline reached for his hand and interlocked her fingers with his. _"I may not kill you now, but don't forget that I could. Elijah, have one of the witches come in here." _He ordered and Elijah pulled out his phone. When he put it back in his pocket, he nodded to Klaus and they waited for the witch to come. She walked into the house and noticed the contained hostility lingering in the air. _"Miss, would you be so kind as to perform a locator spell for Elena? There's a world atlas in the desk over there." _He asked of the witch. She nodded and had Elena go to her. Elena handed her one of the things of Damon's that he left behind and they found his location.

_"The person she seeks is in New York City."_

_"Thank you miss. That will be all." _He informed the witch and she left. Elena was fuming by then and rounded on Klaus.

_"So much for finding him. Do you not know how big that city is? I'll never find him there."_

_"Oh come now Elena, he took you there when your emotions were off. Surely he showed you his favorite spots. Since he most likely has Enzo with him, I'd say he's giving him a tour too. You might want to hurry though; he might move on from there and you'll still be there looking for him." _He informed her. Her face displayed indecision as she flashed out of the house. The only sign she had been there was the door still open. Caroline breathed in relief and looked at everybody before she looked at Klaus. She smiled at him and they all took their seats once again. Caroline sat next to Klaus as they prepared to start deciding their futures. _"Okay. Now that Elena and her mess is gone, all of us have matters to discuss regarding the future from here. Before we do that, I know Caroline wants to ask Bonnie some questions before she makes a final decision for what we're going to do. So love, you being."_

_"Bonnie, I don't want to leave you behind when we got traveling, but I know you won't feel like it with the babies on the way. I don't know if you're going to stay here or pick a place on your own. I guess I'm wanting you to tell me if you and Jeremy have talked about what you want to do."_

_"We've been talking about staying here for a while; or at least until we decide where we want to go. We want to have as normal a life as possible, but we don't want to give you guys up."_

_"You won't lose us Bonnie. I wouldn't ever leave you for long. Klaus has been wanting to show me the world for a long time now, and I want to let him. I know he backs me up with this idea, well sort of, but if we all part ways, I want us to meet here at least a couple times a year and on holidays. I think we should all take turns saying what we want to do."_

_"I think you said that perfectly love."_

_"So my brother finally got you to agree to see the world? How did he manage that one?" _Rebekah chimed in curiously.

_"He explained some things to me; like the agreement he made with you and Elijah about leading the supernatural community. I'm not ready to lead with him; I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't know if I'll be ready in 20 years when he takes his turn, but he made me realize that I didn't have to do that to be with him. He's satisfied with me being with him without ruling until I'm ready. We did the memory transfer last night. I know everything that's going on as of right now."_

_"Miss Forbes, I just wanted to interrupt for a moment. You think you aren't capable of standing up and ruling the people of our community, but we all saw you face off with Davina and call out orders to the witches. You protected everybody and diffused the situation. Then you kept your word and got Davina to safety before coming back and calming Niklaus. I don't think you realize that the witches already see you as a leader. Even when you were not in your body, you were trying to watch out for others. You already have the qualities that are needed to be a great leader, and you balance my brother. We will give you time to realize this for yourself, but just know that you have our support. I'm sure my brother mentioned that I am also a king of sorts, like Rebekah is a queen by her own right. Katherine is my queen, the same as your are Niklaus'. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but our dear Rebekah has rekindled her flame with Stefan recently, but if they progress to the point later that she decides for him to be her companion, then he will become a king. With all of that family and power between us, Jeremy and Bonnie will always be protected and cared for, as well as their children and future generations. Look at each of us and see for yourself what we think of this." _He instructed. She listened and looked at everyone. Bonnie and Jeremy looked like they were lost in thought, so she decided to look at them later. Rebekah was smiling at her and turned to look at Stefan. Stefan looked as nervous as Caroline felt after Elijah's speech, but he noticed her looking and gave her a nod. She looked over at Katherine who gave her a smile before looking back to Bonnie and Jeremy. She looked back to Bonnie and saw her finally acknowledge her looking. Bonnie gave laugh and nodded her head. Jeremy chuckled at Bonnie's reaction and nodded.

_"Okay well everyone seems in favor of it, but I still want to take my time deciding. Stefan, you look as nervous as I feel about all of the information Elijah just said, so why don't you voice your thoughts?"_

_"Thanks Care… way to get the spotlight off of you."_

_"I really want to know what you think about it all."_

_"I don't know what to think about it. Do I want to be a king? No, I don't. Do I want to continue seeing Rebekah and see if we have something real? Yes, I do. So, we're in the same boat here, except for the fact that you're his mate. Vampires don't mate like werewolves do Care. Rebekah and I don't have that kind of guarantee. Elijah and Katherine don't have that guarantee either. Klaus didn't even know the full reason he came to Mystic Falls. He knew he wanted to break the curse and let his werewolf side come out. Yes, he needed Elena to break the sacrifice, but if he hadn't broke it, we might not know what we know today. There's no guarantee that that he would have let you live very long without his wolf side holding him back. Breaking the curse and letting his wolf side emerge let the wolf characteristics come into play. It probably saved your life, as well as outs, more than we know."_

_"He noticed me before he broke the curse, but he didn't think much of it."_

_"I think the reason for that is because he was still a wolf, even if was suppressed in him. The natural instincts were still there, but he couldn't act on him."_

_"You know what's a little funny? I thought he had stalked me before, but I never knew how much until last night."_

_"Well I wouldn't call it stalking love. I was merely observing you and often making sure you were safe."_

_"We're getting off topic here. I think we all need to decide where we're going and who is going with whom." _Stefan chimed in before Klaus and Caroline could banter so much. _"Let's take turns. Okay so we know Caroline and Klaus want to go traveling for a while. Bonnie, you wanted to stay here until you further decide where you want to go. Elijah and Katherine will be here for the next 10 years. Rebekah, what are your plans?"_

_"I was thinking Chicago."_

_"Want some company? I would suggest you and I going with Klaus and Care, but I don't think we'd last long under the same roof as them for long."_

_"Company sounds fine to me."_

_"Okay, so Rebekah and I will be going to Chicago. Now, when is everyone leaving?"_

_"Caroline has already said she's not leaving until she knows where you and Bonnie would be. She doesn't want to Bonnie is her condition, without knowing that she's taken care of." _Klaus answered for them.

_"I'll wait for Stefan to decide when he wants to leave. I know he is going to want know that everyone is fine and settled." _Rebekah chimed in.

_"We were thinking about Denver. Jeremy has people he knows there, but then we thought it would be a bad idea. We want to go somewhere that is still in this country, and somewhere that isn't a city, but isn't a small town either. We need to be somewhere close to here so we can come back to visit easily, since we'll have to bring kids with us in the future." _Bonnie spoke out.

_"I'm sure I can help you with your search Miss Bennett. Niklaus has already appointed some people for your protection. They won't interfere with your life and you won't even know they're there. Once you settle on a location, I will help you both with traveling there to decide where you want to live, as well as help in your search for employment. I understand that you two wish for normality in your lives, but we will provide a house for you and a way to support yourselves. If you ever need any assistance all you have to do is call and ask." _Elijah informed her.

_"Thanks."_

_"Well now that we know what everyone is doing love, have you decided when you want to leave?"_

_"When Bonnie and Jeremy find a house and get set up, we'll go."_

_"That works for me, but I think you should go ahead and move your things into my room so you don't have to keep running back when you need something." _Klaus suggested with a smirk before leaning towards her to whisper in her ear to where only she heard him. _"You know I'm going to run out of sheets at the rate we're going." _He finished and she blushed before dropping her face into her hands. He chuckled as she pulled her head up at glare at him. When he pulled himself back from smiling and fixed his face with a sorry face, she stopped glaring and turned back to the others. She wished she hadn't because she saw Stefan and Rebekah barely containing their laughter and she pulled her glare back out. Stefan sobered up quickly, but Rebekah couldn't hold back anymore. Elijah gave a small smile and looked to Katherine. She gave him a knowing look and they turned back to watch the scene. Caroline excused herself and Rebekah and flashed them out of the house.

_"Klaus you do realize that Caroline can be just as deadly as Rebekah when she gives that face right?"_

_"Oh I know what her temper can be like. I think they'll be okay. Rebekah won't hurt her and Caroline can't kill her." _He finished as the girls flashed back inside. Caroline sat back down next to Klaus and Rebekah went to stand with Stefan. _"So love, what did we miss?"_

_"Nothing. I just informed her of the girl code."_

_"The girl code?"_

_"Yes the girl code. When put into different situations, we girls have a code to follow and you guys are not allowed to know it."_

_ "I couldn't help myself. You managed to shut Nik and Stefan both down with a look. One single look. I have to throw a fit to get my way."_

_"That's because you missed out on our early teen years. Fits work on parents, but it just makes everyone else push over you. Yes, give a fit every now and then to keep them in line, but gather blackmail inn the between times."_

_"Are you saying you have blackmail on Stefan?"_

_"I'm saying you have to be crafty."_

_"Okay ladies, enough plotting for your world domination." _Klaus interrupted.

_"We're not plotting world domination. I'm just giving her some tricks that she's missed out on." _Caroline retorted with a smile.

_"Klaus don't tempt her. You know we don't stand a chance against all 4 of them and they will stick together on this."_

_"Oh hush Stefan. I've seen her memories, if you've forgotten, and I know everything she knows or suspects about you."_

_"So you're going to side with them? What happened to the bro code?"_

_"It got trumped by the girl code apparently."_

_"Jeremy, you're with me on this right?"_

_"I kind of want to stay on her good side. You aren't the only one she has blackmail on. You forget she watched me grow up, and she and Bonnie have been friends that whole time."_

_"Elijah?"_

_"I'm curious as to what Miss Forbes could know about you."_

_"It's not just things she knows; I owe her a lot for being my sober sponsor and not helping her when she needed it. If we had listened to her more, things might have not gotten so crazy."_

_"Just remember that Stefan and we'll be good." _Caroline said, ending the conversation with a smile. She turned to Klaus and excused herself. She asked Bonnie to go with her to the computer and start researching for a house. Jeremy followed after them, while Elijah and Katherine went to attend the matters of the city. Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan decided to head towards the stash for a drink. While drinking, Stefan and Rebekah were talking about what they were going to do in Chicago while Klaus was plotting a course in his head for his and Caroline's trip through Europe. He knew with Caroline helping Bonnie look for a location to buy a house, the search wouldn't take too long and they would all be on their own ways.

After a few hours, Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy rejoined with Klaus, Rebekah, and Klaus with plans to go view a town the next day. Klaus made some necessary calls to have a tour guide, and a realtor on hand in case they needed one. By then, everyone decided to split up and go do what they each wanted to do. Rebekah and Stefan went to go out on a date, Bonnie and Jeremy went to visit a doctor to make her pregnancy official so she would have the paperwork ready when they moved, and Klaus led Caroline to his study. He pulled out an atlas book with the different countries in Europe and opened the computer to pull up locations in each country that he wanted to show her. They spent a couple hours looking at the different places and plotting their course. Klaus said he would make the arrangements when they knew when they were leaving. When he shut the computer down and put the atlas up, Caroline decided to tease him. She moved the computer over to the side of the desk and pulled out a different atlas. She opened it up and bent over the desk to look at it. When Klaus turned around he froze for a second before looking up and trying to contain himself. Caroline saw him out of the corner of her eye and looked over at him innocently. She turned back to the atlas bent further over to rest on her elbows.

_"Tired of sitting love?"_

_"Yes. I thought that I would look at this atlas for when we're done with Europe. South America does sound exotic. Tropical beaches, drinks with little umbrellas, swimming, wearing bikinis all the time, and hiking through the jungles; what's not alluring about all of that?" _She replied while trying to maintain an innocent expression.

_"Indeed; it would be alluring to take you to an exotic location." _He replied with a smirk and walked towards her. She shrugged her shoulder and turned back to the book. Klaus came up behind her, grabbing onto to her hips before leaning over her to reach her ear. _"Of course there's Asia, Africa, Australia, and I still have to show you the northern lights. All of those places have their pleasurable activities to offer." _He finished as he pushed against her. She pushed against the table to get closer to him when he pulled her around to face him. He pushed her down unto the table and pulled her shoes off before reaching up and pulling her leggings and panties off. He lifted her shirt away from her waist before reaching around her legs to hold her hips down. She could feel him ghosting over her leaving her wanting just the slightest touch, but he held back. She started trying to squirm from his grip, but he held her still. When was to the point she was about to beg, he finally gave her a slight flick of his tongue. Her back arched up and she groaned. He repeated the torture of her waiting for him before giving a flick a couple more times before enveloped her clit with his mouth and she screamed out. He didn't let up until she screamed with her release. He let go of her hips as he stood back up and pulled his shirt off. She was still trying to catch her breath when he pulled her up against him and kissed her hard. She reached and undid his pants, but before she could push them down he stopped her and took her top and bra off. He kissed her again and brought her off the table to stand. When he broke away from her, he turned her back around. She braced her hands against the desk, but he gave her a gentle push to make her lower until she was resting on her elbows, mimicking her earlier position. She heard his pants hit the floor and she waited. The first thing she felt was his necklaces touch her spine as he leaned over her. She felt his hands trace up her sides until one rested on her back. She felt him pushing against her entrance and tried to push back against him, but he pushed his hand down on her back to keep her still. When he thrust into her, she tried to arch her back, but he still kept her in place and she groaned. He didn't move for a few seconds as the hand on her back rubbed down until he grabbed her hips with both of his hands. He started thrusting again as she cried out with every push. She pushed her hands out in front of her for any kind of leverage she could find but they kept slipping. When she came he moved his hands around her try and bring on another orgasm quicker. One hand wrapped around her to tease her breast while the other reached around and rubbed her clit fast. He leaned over her more and picked up his pace. She could barely keep her eyes open and ducked her head down to brace for her next orgasm. When she came again, she threw her head back and screamed. He pumped a couple more times before his release came and he rested on her back. Out of breath, she thumped her head down against the desk before turning and looking to see what all had fell off the desk. The computer had managed to stay on the desk, but was about to fall so she pulled in away from the edge before reaching down and grabbing his hand.

He pulled them up and slid out of her, before reaching down to pick up their clothes. He picked up her clothes and grabbed the pants gathered around his ankles to pull as he stood up. They quickly dressed and picked up the study before heading downstairs to eat. When they got down there, she saw Stefan and Rebekah giving them a look. She narrowed her eyes a bit before turning to Klaus. She saw the mischievous look in his eyes and went to ask him what was going on. He stopped her before she could open her mouth as he bent to tell her that his study wasn't soundproof and they must have heard them.

_"So what were you two up to while we were gone?" _Stefan asked while trying to look like he didn't know.

_"We were researching all the different places we wanted to go, what we should see and do while we were there; you know, since you've traveled yourself." _Caroline countered.

_"And how did that go?"_ Stefan asked.

_"Well we managed to make a route for Europe. Then we were discussing other continents. We figured out some things we wanted to do, but I still think South America would be more appealing." _Caroline said knowing that it would get Klaus thinking about how she lured him to his desk. When she heard Klaus give a chuckle, she gave a further explanation. _"I'm sure the beaches down there would give me the perfect opportunity to wear my new bathing suits. It's a lot warmer there than Europe, so I wouldn't have to bundle up to fit in as a human. I could wear a lot of my new clothes. Rebekah, maybe you and Stefan could come visit us and then us girls could hit the club." _She finished with a smirk. Stefan shut up and she heard Klaus suppressing a growl. With she realized Stefan wasn't going to say anything else, she offered that they order in to change the subject.


	20. Chapter 20

**2 Months Later**

The past couple months had been busy for all the residents of the house as they made their plans to travel or settle. Bonnie and Jeremy had finally found a town they both agreed on about an hour from New Orleans, and had spent time looking for a house they liked. When the perfect one for them came on to the market, preparations were made to buy the house for them. After some inspections, everyone learned that there were a few repairs that needed to be made before they could start decorating and furnishing it. They were finally getting everything finished that week, so Rebekah made a call to get a place ready for her and Stefan in Chicago. When she was sure they had a place set up she informed Stefan and they told everyone they would fly as soon as Bonnie and Jeremy were moved into their new home. Klaus and Caroline had gotten closer, but she was going to miss everybody, so she decided to throw a party the night before they all left so they had one last night of fun together. Rebekah tried to convince her to throw a ball, and suggested it would help them all with what she considered the public in the future. Eventually Caroline gave in and they organized a masquerade ball. The girls all decided to dig into the formal wear they had purchased and displayed for the men, and the men were dreading seeing the girls so revealing in front of everybody. After they had everything set up, the girls left to have their hair and make-up done, taking their dresses and masks with them. The men didn't know which of the formal dresses the girls would pick out of all the ones they had, so they all agreed to help each other point them out when they arrived.

The girls arrived back at the mansion and decided to go in through the back to put their dresses on. They knew the guys would be watching for them to arrive at the front like everybody else, and they wanted to surprise them. Rebekah picked Bonnie up and they all flashed to her room. Inside, they all dressed and put their masks in place. They decided to stick together and go straight to the bar area. The girls made their way through the house and then through the crowd of people; humans and vampires alike. There were a couple werewolves that Klaus had been trying to make ties with to have their pack as an ally that were walking around and trying to avoid vampires. The girls lined up and ordered their drinks while Bonnie requested a glass of water. Some men made their ways to them, and they tried to send them away nicely so there wasn't a fight, but their hospitality ended when all of the girls were grabbed and pulled towards the strangers. Rebekah compelled the guy that grabbed her to stand still and not to make a sound. Caroline couldn't compel the vampire that grabbed her, so she twisted his wrist to break free from him, but he put a hand around her throat. Rebekah had gone to protect Bonnie and Katherine snapped the neck of her unwanted company before going over to Caroline. She tapped the guy on the shoulder and when he turned, she punched him. Her and Caroline both took an arm and broke them around his back. All of the commotion drew Elijah, Klaus, Stefan , and Jeremy to them to see the last guy threatening to kill them.

_"ENOUGH!" _Klaus and Elijah bellowed at the same time. The guys that had grabbed them looked up to the girls and sneered at them. The guy who had grabbed Caroline made the mistake of talking back to her again.

_"Now you're in for it. You ruin a party with the originals and now you're going to pay for that." _The girls all took their masks off and looked at the guy. Fear spread across the attackers' faces when they realized who the women were. Everyone was aware of the 4 of them by the night of the ball through meetings with the original family. _"I'm sorry. I didn't recognize who you were. We wouldn't have approached you if we did." _The man spoke quickly trying to save his life. Caroline felt disgusted by the man so she decided to speak up.

_"It doesn't matter if you knew or not. It doesn't matter that it was us who you tried to force your company on. When we said to leave us alone, you should have walked away instead of grabbing us. What were you going to do with us when you grabbed us? Were you going to pull us into another room and kill us? Or were you going to take us somewhere to force yourselves on us? I don't care what creature you are; vampire, human, or werewolf. I don't differentiate based on species; I judge by actions. Rebekah, please come here and compel the truth out of this piece of trash."_

_"Gladly." _She said disgusted and pulled the guy to his feet. Klaus, Elijah, Stefan and Jeremy went to stand next to their women. _"You will not move from this spot. You will tell the whole crowd truthfully what your plans were tonight coming here, AND what your plans were with us." _Rebekah spoke, compelling the man.

_"My friends and I came here tonight for the ball. We were looking to find someone to have sex with. We saw the four of you come into the room and go to the bar, so we made a plan. We were going to lure you all away from the crowd and seduce you. If that didn't work we were going to make you go with us anyway and take what we wanted from you. After, we would have killed you if you fought back." _The guy spoke in a compelled daze. The crowd around them was a mixture of disgust and fear. No one dared move an inch as they waited for what would happen. Caroline stopped Rebekah from ripping the guy's heart out and decided to speak out.

_"Okay, you want sex? Rebekah, compel them to have each other throughout the night and then stake each other. The last one standing is to walk out into the sun in the morning without any kind of a daylight charm." _Caroline finished and turned to Klaus. She gave him a look to say something about that kind of behavior. While Rebekah was compelling the men as Caroline had ordered, Klaus turned around and made an announcement.

_"My family and I may be ruthless and be murderers, but never once did we take a woman by force in the thousand years we've lived. We will not tolerate that act. Anyone caught compelling a woman to sleep with them in any way or by forcing themselves on one, will be executed in the most gruesome ways. This applies to all species too. None of us will tolerate it and we will punish accordingly. Now, since this matter has been handled by my dear sister and my mate, I think we should get back to the party. Announcements will be made shortly." _Klaus finished a glanced around the room before offering Caroline his arm and leading her to dance. Elijah followed with Katherine. Rebekah went back to check on Bonnie and Jeremy, before ushering them to follow her and Stefan. She told them to stick with at least one original at all times that night. When all the couples finished their dances, they walked up the center stairs for announcements. Elijah and Katherine stood at the top, directly below them were Klaus and Caroline, followed by Stefan and Rebekah, and then Bonnie and Jeremy. When everyone had gathered below them, Elijah spoke first.

_"Ladies and gentleman, on behalf of my family and their companions, I want to thank you all for joining us and I want to apologize for the scene you had to witness. Our intentions tonight were not of fighting. Recently, my family and I have come to an agreement and now we wish to share it with you all. As you are all aware, Niklaus, Rebekah, and myself are the originals; the originators of all the vampires in existence. My brother is a hybrid, making him the oldest living werewolf. Our goal has always been to create a kingdom where the supernatural community could thrive; one where we could all live together in peace, without fear of persecution from others. However, this was postponed when our father tried to kill us, and every vampire from out lines, and we left the city. Marcel saw the opportunity to make the city his and make it how he wanted it. He wanted to have everyone under his control. He killed as many werewolves as he could, causing the rest to flee. He put the witches under his thumb, instead of letting them practice what they were born to do. The vampires had to join him on his quest to live here; if not he would rule over them, kill them, or make them leave. Our family didn't want that. When Marcel made a move against our family and companions, we took him out. We were already working on a way to take back what we had started without casualties, but drastic measures had to be taken. Now, as far as the agreement between my siblings and I, I will let my brother explain it to you all."_

_"Good evening everyone. Since we are royalty among our kind, we have decided on a system that gives us equal rule. One of us will lead the city for 10 years, while the others travel or do as they wish. Every 10 years, another will step up. The cycle will repeat over and over again. Elijah will be leading the first decade, followed by Rebekah, and then myself. Our companions have the choice to either lead with us or just stay with us as companions. It's their choice. Either way, you are to accept them as you accept my family. We've been working together the last couple months cleaning up the Marcel created and trying to make allegiances between the species. The witches are free to use their magic as they wish, as long as they do not use their powers on another supernatural without permission, unless it is self-defense. Vampires that feed from humans will not kill their victims. You feed and you erase the memory. If you take too much, either heal them or get them to the hospital. Werewolves will not attack the other species in this town. When the full moon comes, you leave town and either chain up or make sure you're in an isolated area. Humans will not talk about what they know about any of the species. They will lives their lives as normal as possible. If there is a death, we will investigate it. We will determine which creature made the kill and track it. If there is a plot to overthrow us or try and kill us, those individuals will not live long. This applies to our companions. Now, every one of you are probably wondering who the humans standing with us are. They are under our protection and will not be bothered. One is the anchor to the other side and the other is a hunter. Both of them have died and been brought back, so we will not tolerate another time. Also, they are expecting, so their children and future generations are under our protection as well. That might not seem like much now, but in a century it will be a different story. Now, we will all take turns introducing our companions and letting them tell you whether or not they wish to lead with us. Keep in mind that their answers may change in time, or by the time we rule. Elijah, you may start."_

_"Thank you Niklaus. My companion is Katerina Petrova. Some of you may have heard of her or even met her before. However, recent events have led to her transferring to another body. I will not go into details now, but I will let her tell you her decision."_

_"Hello everyone. Elijah and I have been leading to where we are now for 500 years. When I was asked what I chose, I said that whether I was his queen or not, I would be with him. I've been working with him to see how he carries out the tasks this city creates, and I realized that I wanted to be there for him in every way. I choose to lead with him during his set times."_

_"Thank you Katerina. Now, most of you all know that when I came back to New Orleans this last time, I brought back a house full of people. One of them was Caroline; or as you all saw, the one who decided the fate of those men earlier. I will always consider her a queen, whether she chooses it or not. I chose her long before I knew why. Since I am part werewolf, I take on their traits. One trait a werewolf carries is to have a mate that is meant for them. Most would think it would be a human or another werewolf, but nature decided something different for me. I'm also a vampire, so any human or werewolf that would have been designed for me would have grown old and died. Since I am a vampire and a werewolf, my mate could only be a vampire or another hybrid. I noticed Caroline the moment I saw her. From then on, there was a connection that drew me in to her. I didn't know what is what for sure until a couple months ago; Caroline is my mate. I will let her tell her tell you her decision."_

_"Hello. We've come a long way the last couple years, but I understand now why everything happened how it did. When Klaus and I met, he was using my teacher's body to spy on one of my then-friends. I was a barely made vampire and I was just trying to protect her. She was the doppelganger he used to break the curse and become a hybrid. I was originally made into a vampire when Katherine, or Katerina, killed me to use for the vampire in the same sacrifice. Myself and the werewolf that night made it out and he used the back-ups instead. We didn't see him again until he came back to find out why he couldn't make hybrids. Well the doppelganger survived the ritual in the end and she was needed to make them. My boyfriend at the time was the first successful hybrid he made and I watched while Rebekah held me back. Later on, Stefan ticked him off and I was the collateral damage. Instead of letting me die, he saved my life. He then tried to woo me. I rejected him constantly, but he didn't give up. Then I started seeing more of him and my friends and I had to keep going against him. Both sides were fighting to protect the ones that we were close to. There were casualties on both sides and then we had to unite against a common enemy. When we thought it was over, they all came here. Well, it wasn't over like we thought and we kept fighting. By the time it was over, more problems took its place. Katherine was dying; I had a spell put on me because of my ex and Marcel, and then Hayley's lies piled up until they were revealed. So, Klaus and Elijah come back and we unite again against all our enemies. My ex, Hayley, and Marcel were taken down. Katherine was saved, I was saved later, and then we came here and I found out that Klaus was my mate. Before I found that out though, I chose him like he had me. I will be with him whether or not I lead with him. It will be 20 years before his time to rule comes. If I had to choose to lead now, I would say no. In 20 years, my answer may change, and if it doesn't then it may in the future. I wouldn't want to lead when I'm still new to a lot of things. I want to be completely ready to be a great leader, before I become one."_

_"Well said love. Rebekah, it is yours and Stefan's turn."_

_"Hello everybody. I've spent a thousand years with my brother, and a lot of those times were in a box. He always did have a short temper. Anyway, in the 1920s my brother and I were traveling when we ran into Stefan. He wasn't like how he is now, but I accept all parts of him. My brother compelled him to forget us when our father showed up and put me in a box for 90 years. When I woke up, Stefan had no memory of me and was with that bloody doppelganger. Anyway, my brother took the compulsion off and he got his memories back. Later on, I started seeing one of their friends and we spent the summer after their graduation in Europe. I came back to help my brother with the city and that were-slut as we call her. Then I get a call saying that they were on their way to the place we finally left behind. I stay here and keep an eye on things and find out that Marcel was with me for protection and power. I made no move to help him when his death came after Elijah's return. Then my other brother comes back with, as he called it, a house full of people. One of them was Stefan. After our past, I didn't think it would be a good thing for us to ne under the same roof. However, he sees Caroline as his sister and she is with my brother. We ended up talking a lot to help them work everything out. I won't bore you all with the details, but we got back together after that. Now, I have 10 years until it is my turn to rule this city. I will let Stefan tell you his thoughts on joining me."_

_"Thank you Rebekah. Since Rebekah has explained our story in a nutshell, I can skip to the good parts. I cared about her in the 1920s and when I got my memories back I remembered what it was like to be with her. By then I was with the bloody doppelganger as Rebekah calls her and I thought I was in love with her. My love for her was not enough. She developed feelings for my brother, who I've disowned for multiple reasons, and we broke up. Then she slept with him and we discovered she had a sire bond to him. We did everything we could to break it. It broke when she had her humanity turned off. When she turned it back on, she still had feelings for my brother and stayed with him. I got locked up in a safe by the enemy at the time and dropped into the bottom of a quarry to drown over and over again. I was found later and we finally defeated the enemy. Katherine and Caroline helped me overcome the problems I developed from being in the safe for an entire summer. Not too long after that, we found out that Katherine was dying and she asked Caroline to call Elijah. Caroline didn't have Elijah's number and she didn't want to ask Matt for Rebekah's because she and Rebekah couldn't stand each other. So, she called Klaus. She was on the phone with him when her ex and a witch killed her mother and put a spell on her. I later went to look for her because she hadn't returned and found her and her mother. I saw that she had called Klaus last and called him to find out what was going on. After he explained everything, we put a plan in motion. My brother and ex decided to try and pick a fight because they didn't believe that Klaus and Elijah had come to help. We fixed the problem and after some truths came out about him, I disowned him. Caroline convinced us to let him live, but to make him leave and not take any more actions against us. After we saved Katherine and Caroline we came down here. I admit, I was nervous being around Rebekah again. I didn't know if she would kill me or if I would fall for her again. When she didn't kill me and we all had to work together, I fell. Then, the women all decided to pull a prank on us men one day, and it pushed us the rest of the way. I've not left her side yet, and I want to explore us. If we work out, then that will be perfect. If we don't then I will let her be and only see her through mutual connections. In 10 years, if we are still together, I will not be ruling with her, but I will be by her side. I will evaluate my opinions and our relationship in the future before my mind changes. I'm kind of like Caroline with this issue. If I was to lead, I would want to make sure I would do a good job, so until then I will not be a king. Thank you everybody."_

_"Okay. Now that everyone has told you their decisions and why they decided them, does anybody have any questions or comments?" _Elijah asked the crowd. He werewolves in attendance stepped forward and their leader spoke for them.

_"My comment is for Klaus. We were unaware of all the reasons behind your offer to become a part of the city again. We thought it was a ruse to lure us in and wipe us out or make us into hybrids. Do you intend to do either of those?"_

_"I do not intend to wipe out the werewolf race, nor will I ever have the thought to make another hybrid. The only way I would make a hybrid, would be if nature let my mate carry a child. However, if you break the rules, the one or ones responsible will be punished according to the crime."_

_"Your mate is a vampire. How would she carry a child?"_

_"Because I'm both a werewolf and a vampire. None of us know whether or not she would. That doesn't change the fact that she is my mate, and as alpha male, she would be alpha female. Now, do you doubt my word or the value of my mate?"_

_"Neither. We are just making sure all questions are answered. During the times that Elijah and Rebekah rule, would we follow them or would we follow you at all times?"_

_"You would follow each of us as we take our turns. Yes, I'm the alpha male, but as I am not the only one of my siblings, I wish to share this with them. This is a way to mend the rift between the species and let the war be over. Our father, my stepfather, started the war by killing the werewolves of our village the night I first turned. Until that moment, he had no idea of our mother's infidelity and I would not have turned had it not been for her turning us into vampires. The bloodlust was too strong for all of us and my first kill triggered the gene. That's why I had the curse put on me to suppress my werewolf side; to pay for my mother's sins. I do not say this to justify my actions from the past thousand years, but my siblings never thought me any less family because I had a different father. If you agree to the terms, and follow my siblings and I, we will transition everything into a place for us all."_

_"Then we will follow you. I'll explain to the packs and have them contact you for their decisions." _The male said as he and the other wolves stepped back. Klaus looked at Caroline and smiled. She smiled back before noticing some of the witched step forward.

_"We were there when Davina attacked. May we say a little something to Caroline?" _They asked and Klaus looked to Caroline. She looked at him and nodded before giving them their attention.

_"Yes, you may."_

_"Out of all the plans that we came up with and the originals came up with, none of them worked. When you showed up, you just went to her and talked her down. You let her see your memories so she would believe you. We know that by doing that, it brought pain to you, but you did it anyway. You saved all of us that day, and you kept your word to her. She's normal now and somewhere far away. Why didn't you just kill her? You were close enough to do it."_

_"When I saw everyone being attacked, I wanted to so I could stop her from hurting the ones I care about and the ones there to help us. When I saw her I didn't want to kill her because she had been tricked into believing we were the bad guys in this. She was just a child that was dealing with a whole bunch of supernatural problems in my eyes. I was 17 when I was turned and I never caught a break from anything. I've been kidnapped, tortured, dealt with the effects of a werewolf bite twice, and that's only the physical problems. I was on an emotional rollercoaster from the time I was turned and it's just now slowing down somewhat. She thought I didn't understand what she was going through, so I showed her that I did. When she was willing to back down in exchange for being left alive and free to leave town, you guys stripped her of her powers and I got her out of there. Then I came back and had to stop Klaus from going after her and breaking my word. That was not easy since he was mad that I put myself in danger to do it. But like I said, I'm used to being in danger, and I will always stand up for those I care about."_

_"We weren't convinced that the originals wanted to bring the supernatural community together until we saw you do that. We've lived our lives under Marcel not trusting vampires and we didn't want to trade one tyrant for three, but we've all been talking lately. You protected the ones you care about, Davina, and us, when you could have ran away or killed her. No one died that day and some of us were pretty close. You think what you did was nothing big or special, but you gave us what we needed to see. When you decide to rule with Klaus, you will make a great ruler. We stand behind you all."_

_"Thank you." _Caroline replied. She looked at Klaus again and Elijah decided to take over from there.

_"The witches and werewolves have agreed with us to all work together and make this place for all of us. So now I am addressing the vampires and humans of this community. Many of you are high ranking and we would like to know your thoughts." _ The mayor stepped forward with other members of the human community.

_"We still don't like the idea of humans being compelled or fed from. Is there another way around that?" _The mayor asked and Caroline turned to Elijah to signal she wanted to answer. She stepped down the stairs to talk to him face to face.

_"I was human a couple of years ago. I accidently killed someone when I first turned because I didn't know what was going on until I got the memories back from being compelled. I feed from blood bags to keep up my strength and so I don't hurt anyone like I was. Not every vampire is going to feel the same way I do about this. But, maybe we could find a middle ground. There could be volunteers that could let vampires feed from them and compel them not to feel the bite, and you could run tons of blood drives that could collect blood for humans and vampires alike. Like I said, not every vampire would be willing to feed from a blood bag, but there might be some that would. The vampires haven't spoken up yet, so we'll bring this issue up with them to see what they're willing to work with us on. Will those ideas work for you?"_

_"The ideas are very good. The witch was right about you. However, we will wait until the discussions with the vampires are complete to give our decision."_

_"Thank you. We'll do our best." _She said with a smile and walked back to stand next to Klaus. She gave Elijah a nod before turning around to face the crowd again.

_"I wish to see the high ranking vampires step forward to discuss the terms we have set and to discuss Caroline's idea on feeding." _Elijah said. They watched as three vampires walked forward and looked at each of them.

_"Most of the vampires in the city are used to feeding as they wish. We are willing to work with them to curb this and find volunteers for live feeding. Those who wish for blood bags can have those too, but we're talking about a lot of vampires. Finding enough volunteers and rationing enough blood bags will be difficult. How are we supposed to do that?"_

_"Caroline would you like to answer this question, or would you prefer one of us?"_

_"It's okay Elijah. I will answer him." _She said and stepped down the steps again to find the mayor and beckon him forward. She stood between the mayor and the vampire that had been speaking. _"Okay first off, we were all humans at one point. The werewolves were normal until their wolf gene triggered, witches hit their powers when their older, and vampires happen when we die. So, we all have common roots, so to speak. Secondly, I never said it would be an easy transition. The city may have to order blood from other cities or states. As far as volunteers go, put a job offer out in the newspaper. When the people show up, describe the job. If they're afraid, or don't want to do it then compel them to forget what the job was about and let them think they didn't get the job."_

_"You don't like compulsion, but you are suggesting it to cover up what we are?"_

_"I don't like compulsion when it's used for the wrong reasons. I've had to use it to keep from being exposed or for missing so much school because of supernatural problems. I never used compulsion to hurt anyone until tonight. Yes, I had Rebekah compel those guys to inflict pain on each other all night and take their own lives, but what they had in mind was sick. Let me ask you a personal question… when you were human did you go through being bit and fed on repeatedly? How about being forced to do something that you didn't want to do? Have someone ever forced themselves on you?"_

_"I've been bit and fed off of once as a human. I was turned that same night and I didn't choose that, but no one ever took me against their will."_

_"Did you wake up and have memories come back to you?"_

_"I was only compelled to be quiet."_

_"Do you remember the fear you felt when you couldn't scream for help when something you had no idea existed bit into you and fed from you?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Do you really want to do that to someone else? I know I don't, but you're not me. Now I know some humans actually like being fed from, and that's why I gave the idea for volunteers. The vampires feeding would still have to refrain from killing during a feed, but with volunteers the only thing they would have to be compelled is to not feel the pain from it. This is going to take a while to get in order, so until then the rules that were given before will still apply. Can you work with us to get to that point or would you rather there be more bloodshed in a power struggle?"_

_"Until we can get everything organized for blood bags and volunteers, can you spread the word to not kill anyone? Would your kind do as Klaus suggested and compel to feed and then erase the memory? I want to add Caroline's suggestion in and have them not feel the pain as well." _The mayor spoke.

_"It may take a while to stop the deaths completely. We have vampires that wander in and out of here all the time, and then there ones that can't control their bloodlust. There are also vampires with their humanity switch off. I don't know for sure how long it would take to rein everyone in. We'll do what we can if you give us time and cooperation."_

_"We'll work with everyone until given a reason not to."_

_"Okay. We have another matter to discuss and it involves the witches."_

_"Okay. Klaus, Elijah, and Bonnie please come here." _Caroline asked and waited for them to join her. She turned to the mayor and thanked him for cooperating before calling the witches back to her. _"What is the matter involving the witches?"_

_"We had to prove ourselves by fighting to get a daylight ring. Is that still in effect? Do we have to do something else or are how do we get one?"_

_"How about a compromise? " _Caroline suggested. The vampire looked at her and noticed she was deep in thought before talking again. _"I know the witches aren't going to be keen on having vampires walking around in the daylight unless you give them some kind of insurance that you won't hurt anyone. Instead of fighting to prove you deserve a daylight ring, how about abiding by the rules and not killing anyone? Also, helping out all of us out in getting this city on track would probably be in your favor." _She finished and looked to Klaus and Elijah. She motioned for Katherine to join them and told Bonnie to talk to the witches and gather their terms while she talked to Katherine. _"You all continue this conversation and I will rejoin you in a moment." _She said and walked to Katherine.

_"What do you need me to do?"_

_"I need you to tell anybody who is not leading a group of people to go enjoy the rest of the party because this is going to take a while. Have Rebekah and Stefan help you if you need it, but have them keep them entertained. Then I need you to come back and help us negotiate these terms. I don't know why they keep asking me all of this, and I'm thinking of things as fast as I can, but I'm running out of ideas. You decided to lead with Elijah so please tell me you have some ideas bouncing around in there from the last 500 years."_

_"Okay Caroline just calm down. You've been doing great. Elijah told me he wished you would change your mind and I agree. Klaus has been watching every move you make and has that creepy satisfied look on his face. I mean this in the best possible way, but I'm so glad I killed you." _She said with a smile and ran off to repeat the directions to Rebekah and Stefan. They looked to her and nodded their heads with a smile. Jeremy came up to her.

_"What should I do?"_

_"Jer you're a hunter. Try to stay clear of the vampires for now. Go with Bonnie to the witches but neither of you are to leave our sights."_

_"Got it Care."_

_"Thanks Jer. I'll walk you to her." _She replied and walked him to her friend. She turned back to see Katherine walking to her telling her that she was ready for action. Caroline held back her giggle and walked with her back to the men. The werewolves had already discussed everything they wished to discuss and took their leave to spread the word. That left the witches, vampires, and humans standing there. Caroline took a breath and squared her shoulders for the rest of the unofficial meeting. They knew that it was a possibility that night for members of the community to need some kind of deal for each group. When she was standing next to Klaus, she heard them making temporary deals that would be amended in the future when order was fixed and maintained. She heard the vampire she had been talking to call on her and she turned to him.

_"How long have you been a vampire?"_

_"A couple years. Is that going to be a problem?" _she answered and asked politely.

_"No, we were just discussing your negotiation skills when you walked away a few minutes ago."_

_"How did that go?"_

_"We were saying that you seem to know what you're doing like you've been doing it for a while."_

_"I'm used to trying to find a balance between everybody."_

_"What happened to the vampire that hurt you? I hope you don't mind me asking, but I was curious as to what his fate was."_

_"Well I kicked his ass when I saw him after being turned. Then I kicked his ass again when he tried to kill my father. He's forbidden to come around us now, but he's alive."_

_"How old is he?"_

_"About a century and a half."_

_"He was that old and you picked a fight with him?"_

_"More than once. He threw it up in my face that he was older, but I told him I was angrier and kicked away from my father and I. The first time I picked a fight, he didn't even know what was going on because he didn't know I had turned and remembered everything."_

_"You must have known him well to not kill him."_

_"Oh I knew him, but I still despised him. We shared connections with people I care about, so I didn't say or do much to him."_

_"You have a lot of control over yourself for your age. And you use your head better than some vampires that are centuries."_

_"Thanks, but I'm just trying to find a balance between everyone and hoping that we can all get to the point where there's no more pain and fighting."_

_"From what we heard, you know your share. You got to catch a break sometime though, right?"_

_"Yea. How old are you by the way?"_

_"Over 300 years old. I came here about 20 years ago and have been here since."_

_"Wow. If you don't mind me asking, why did you hear me out? I'm still technically a teenager for another couple months."_

_"We heard Klaus call you his mate for one. Then you explained a bit about yourself that made us think you actually knew what you were doing. Then the witches mentioned Davina and what you did. Not many people would have done that. I don't know anybody that would have off the top of my head. So we know you're smart, foolishly brave, strong, and organized. Those will come in handy later on if you change your mind."_

_"I already call her my queen whether she agrees or not." _Klaus stepped in as he finished talking to the other vampires. _"I keep telling her she's already good at everything she does, so I know she will be great. However, I want to take her around the world and she insists on going to college again. I kind of pulled her out of it."_

_"Yes, you did and I will keep insisting that I at least take online courses. I want to take every class there is to learn everything I can. Come on, I took Microbiology to spy on my psycho teacher that was conducting experiments on vampires and part of some freaky vampire hating society. I actually liked that class minus the crazy teacher."_

_"How often have you done something like that?"_

_"More than I want to admit. With everything so crazy the last few years, we just did what we could to get by and find a solution."_

_"Sounds like you and your friends are used to taking on roles of responsibility. How long do you think it will take to get this city how you all want it?"_

_"Maybe a few years. We're all coming back for the holidays and to visit a couple times a year and we'll be helping while we're here. Plus there's phones and Skype to use if we need to. If an emergency breaks out, we'll come straight back. It's likely to happen seeing that this is just one city out of the world and there will be others that try to take over. We have to make a plan to prepare for that when it happens."_

_"You sound so sure it will happen."_

_"There's always going to be someone out there that wants to take over and rise to the top. The originals can't be killed now. It won't be them they go for when it happens."_

_"No one will touch you love."_

_"I'm not worried about me. What about everyone else we care about? What about the people who are expecting all of us to lead them AND protect them if something happens? Battles and wars do nothing but tear people apart. That exists in every species. What happens when we all get this city set up and running like everybody wants it to be, finally giving everyone peace, when someone wants it and builds an army to take it? I know that's why you wanted your hybrids, but you went about it the wrong way. If you had given them a choice instead of just turning them, you might still have some of them. That was the first rift. Then Tyler broke his sire bond because Hayley told him how, and he brought that were-slut back with him and they repeated it with the rest of them. Give people a choice and then give them a chance to prove their loyalties."_

_"I've learned my lesson love. I know you're right about the hybrids. You know all of my reasons behind them. But you're right to say we need a contingency plan in place in case of a rebellion of any kind."_

_"Why not work with everyone we're talking to now? If they want this city to stand once everybody has worked to make it better, then give them a choice to fight for it and you'll see how many stay to help. I know you were used to using fear to get your way, but the only ones that need to fear you are the enemies. You're not out there wreaking havoc, so you shouldn't make any new enemies. However, you've been alive for a thousand years and I'm sure you've picked up a few over the centuries, so you need to try and remember them all in case they come for revenge and have a plan for each one. I would suggest everybody does that. It's the best way to figure out what we could have to go against in the future. When we all get this city on its feet, ask everyone if they are willing to fight and protect the city if the need arises."_

_"And if they don't?"_

_"You'd be surprised at the people who say no and end up fighting by choice. And you'd be surprised to see how many people would be loyal and say yes once this place is on its feet."_

_"We'll see when the time comes love."_

_"We'd side with you. If you really want this place to be for all supernaturals to thrive together and manage to do it, then we'd side with you. This place is home to us and you guys say you want to help each group. It's an easy choice to protect our home. If you all rule the way you say you will, then it will be an easy choice to protect the people you care about and the rest of the people in this town. Some of us may fall, but we'd have a reason instead of just taking orders."_

_"Thank you. We'll talk to the witches to see if they reasonable terms regarding the daylight rings. Right now the rules are no killing, forcing someone into vile acts, and no plotting against any of us. That's in a nutshell. After tomorrow, it will be Katherine and Elijah here, but I'd say Klaus has your contact information if we need to discuss anything more than what we have already." _She said and walked over to the witches. They had wrote down their terms on the daylight rings and they were all reasonable terms so she handed them to Klaus to look over and he passed it to Elijah when he was finished. Elijah then handed the paper to the vampire. After reading over the paper the vampire agreed and they left to discuss everything with other vampires. The witches were glad the vampires had accepted the deal and went back to the party. The 6 of them stood there looking at each other for a minute before following the crowd to the ballroom to finish their last night there. Klaus and Caroline were having a hard time staying with everyone with their bodies so close during all the dancing. By the end of the night, they were internally thrilled to have everybody leave. Klaus left for a few minutes to make sure the men form earlier were still following their compulsion before returning to see Caroline fighting sleep in her chair. Everybody said goodnight to each other before heading to their rooms and going to bed.


	21. Chapter 21

**Explorations**

The next morning, everybody followed Bonnie and Jeremy to their new home to help them finish bringing their stuff in and to see their face when they saw everything that Caroline had added secretly to the repairs. Caroline had a small greenhouse set up for Bonnie, a small pool and Jacuzzi with a fence around it, a treehouse, a swing set/jungle gym, and a grill/patio area. Caroline was extremely thankful that Bonnie had picked a place with a huge back yard area, or she wouldn't have had the room to put everything. She kept trying to figure out what she could set up for Jeremy, but Stefan had gave her the idea of finishing the basement and making it an entertainment room with a pool table, a gaming system, a couple arcade games, and a mini bar. So, everyone wanted to see their faces when they saw the additions. When they stepped up to unlock the door, Bonnie and Jeremy entered and invited each one of them inside the house. When Caroline was in, she grabbed a hold of Bonnie and Jeremy.

_"Okay you guys, I know you told me to not go crazy and let you do your own house, but we still added some surprises for you both and the future little ones. Bonnie, I know you had a confused look on your face when we all pulled up, so why don't you both go check out the backyard and then you both can go to the basement."_

_"Care, what did you do?"_

_"You'll like it. Just trust me and go look. We're right behind you guys." _She finished and Bonnie and Jeremy exchanged a nervous look at each other before going. Everyone followed and Caroline was barely holding back her excitement. Klaus put an arm around her to keep her from flashing around. When Bonnie and Jeremy stepped outside they both looked shocked before Bonnie started crying. She turned to Caroline and hugged her.

_"You didn't have to do all this. How did you know what to get?"_

_"Well I know you guys and I researched everything. I got the highest safety rating for the kids' stuff, and your greenhouse has every herb and flower I could find. If you want something else you can just get it and put it in there. And, it's all organized alphabetically to make it easy to sort through. The pool isn't deep and is has a gate around it for when the kids are little, but they'll they enjoy it when they're older. The treehouse has steps and a ladder to make sure they get up and down easier. And you couldn't have all of this without the grill and patio set to watch the kids as they play. Now, the basement is more for Jeremy than you, but you can have some fun with it too. Don't worry, you still have the attic and shed for storage."_

_"I helped her with the basement. She needed a guy's opinion and then she went crazy with it." _Stefan added. Jeremy looked to Bonnie and they both darted back inside with everyone following. When Jeremy saw everything he started whooping and pumping his fist in the air. Bonnie walked around to look at everything before she turned to Stefan and Caroline.

_"You guys realize I'm never going to get him out of here, right?"_

_"Yea you will. Besides, you like doing some of these things with him. And, there's a card table in the attic in case you guys have people over and want to play cards." _Caroline replied.

_"This is an awesome room. Thank you guys." _ Jeremy came up and stood in front of them looking like a kid at Christmas. Bonnie gave him a look and then they all went back upstairs and let them look through the house to make sure it was how they wanted. The kitchen was already stocked with food and the laundry room off to the side had a deep-freezer that was full too. Bonnie looked at the pantry room and then gave Caroline a look. Caroline dropped her head down a bit.

_"Yes I know I probably got too much, but you guys like everything that's in there and refrigerated. Just make sure to keep an eye on the dates and you'll be fine."_

_"Some of it might expire before we get to use it." _Bonnie said sheepishly.

_"It's okay if if does. We just wanted to make sure you were stocked up while Jeremy starts working. I still think it's amazing that he gets to draw for a living. The comic book shelves won't know what hit them. You guys know if you need anything, you only have to call us and we'll get it to you right?"_

_"Yes Care, we'll be fine. Taking care of ourselves is a part of life. Yes it helps to have friends in high places, but we still want to do what we can for ourselves."_

_"And I'm so proud of you guys for wanting that; I just want you to know that you have help if you need it. And Klaus and Elijah have already set up your protection detail close by. You won't ever see them unless there's danger. Klaus brought you a folder that had their pictures and profiles in it, so you would know whether or not to invite someone in."_

_"Thank you guys. We'll look over the photos. Is it just vampires?"_

_"No, there are some witches too. You'll know what each person is in the profiles. Not all of them are here at the same time; only a couple. They'll switch out throughout the year before starting the process over again." _Klaus answered and handed her the folder. Bonnie and Jeremy gave a quick look and went to put the folder in the office desk. When they came back in everybody looked at each other and then decided it was time to let the couple enjoy their new home. They had to go back to New Orleans and then take the jet out.

When everybody got back to New Orleans, Klaus, Caroline, Rebekah, and Stefan stood at the entryway and said their goodbyes to Elijah and Katherine before taking the car to the airport. Since Caroline and Klaus were going to use the jet to get to France, they decided to have Rebekah and Stefan fly with them to Chicago and give the jet time to refuel before heading over the ocean. They took an hour dropping Stefan and Rebekah off at their home and grabbing something to eat before heading back to the airport. When they got back on the plane and took off, Klaus noticed Caroline's excitement had temporarily calmed down, and decided to distract her.

_"What's wrong love?"_

_"I'm going to miss everybody. I know we drove each other crazy under the same roof, but it'll be weird without them."_

_"You can call them whenever you want though. And you have video calls so you can see them."_

_"I know, it's just this is the first time we've all been separated like this. Do you think they'll be alright?"_

_"They'll be fine love. And you'll see them all in a couple months. You already have the baby shower planned and the rest of the activities when we go back. Elijah and Katherine are continuing the negotiations and everyone is actually working together. I don't think you realize the impact you had last night. Our reputation has always been brutal, so nobody really wanted us taking over. Then they saw you, Stefan, and Katerina with us. They saw us let you all speak for yourselves AND they saw me and Elijah let you speak your thoughts and ideas. People were surprised we let you speak for us; especially after you said you didn't want to be a queen yet."_

_"Just because I don't want to be a queen yet, doesn't mean I can't help come up with ideas."_

_"I know that love, but the crowd didn't know that you would or that we'd let you say them. They were even more surprised when we followed your ideas. They liked you love. You're already gaining support for the future, so there won't be much tension when you change your mind. Sending Stefan with Rebekah to keep the guests entertained shows you think about everybody at once. You kept Bonnie and Jeremy close to us and the witches, and you managed to get Katerina to actually help. She chose to rule with Elijah and she needed to know her duties weren't just to be bossy and dress up."_

_"She knew that; she was just waiting for the right time to stand up. Did you not notice that they were asking me and you more stuff than they were asking Elijah and Katherine? They're the ones that are leading them right now; not us. They need to be able to step forward and ask any of us instead of choosing who to direct their questions to. I know you're going to be calling Elijah and checking up on everything. I'm going to be staying in touch with Katherine for the same thing. She knows what she's doing, but she may not go about doing it the right way."_

_"You need to just relax and enjoy our travels. The city will still be there when we return."_

_"I know but it's still a big mess. I don't know how long it will take to get everything going."_

_"Caroline, it's going to take a while, but it will get done. We're vampires Caroline, we have forever and all of the people realize that it could take years to change everything. As long as we keep working on it, they'll cooperate. It's going to be fine love."_

_"I still bad for leaving Elijah and Katherine to deal with it all while we go globe-trotting."_

_"Elijah is more than capable of working through all of it, and Katerina will eventually know her role."_

_"Okay even you can admit that it's only a matter of time before the next big bad decides to show up and raise hell. Then we'll be fighting it and the people will be the ones to lose the most."_

_"Well if that happens, us originals will do the fighting, and you, Stefan, and Katerina will be in charge of making sure all our plans don't fall though during. Don't even think I'm letting you get close to a fight. We'll need you three keeping the ties connected and managing the resources. It's still a big part in battle. Without the necessary resources and connections, armies have fell throughout time. You guys will keep that going for us."_

_"And who is going to stop you guys form killing everybody on the opposite team? What is they were just drafted into fighting and didn't really want to?"_

_"We'll try to keep the bloodshed limited to those who deserve it, but you can't fight a war and there not be casualties. That's another reason you won't be fighting; you'd be out there trying to talk to them and they would be killing you without a second thought. I won't allow that."_

_"I know there would be casualties, and if you won't let me fight, I'll do what I can to help with the other stuff, but then it falls to you guys to try and negotiate our ways out of fighting. Casualties would be on both sides, and I would want to try and keep the death toll down."_

_"If we have a battle come our way, the chances are more likely they'll think like I did when I came to Mystic Falls. They won't care what happens as long as they get what they want."_

_"If we can get 4 different species to work and live together to build up a city, do you really think an enemy will be able to get past them?"_

_"No, but I will make sure that you, Stefan, and Katerina won't be compromised. We can't die, but you three can. That would be the enemy's first move and you know it. I went after everyone close to Elena when I came to Mystic Falls. I know how the bad guy, as you like to call it, thinks because I was the bad guy for all of you at one point or another."_

_"But you're not now. Yes, you can still be dangerous and invincible, but now you have reasons to show the other parts of you."_

_"Yes and we're going to be indulging in that during our travels. So, what do you want to do first when we get to Paris?"_

_"Well you'll have to have the jet refueled and sent back, and then I want to go practice my French at one of the outdoor cafes there. I want to go sightseeing and then shopping, but we have plenty of time for all of that. How about we just get settled in today and you can give me the tour tomorrow?"_

_"It's whatever you want to do love."_

_"Good because I want to check out where we're staying and get something to eat."_

_"You'll be seeing plenty of the penthouse. Don't you want to explore a little?"_

_"I can explore the penthouse with you first." _She teased. He smirked and leaned to kiss her. She moved to sit in his lap to have better access to him, and things heated up quickly.

_"Am I sensing that you want to join the mile high club sweetheart?"_

_"Maybe." _She laughed before kissing him again. Klaus quickly compelled the stewardess to leave the area and not pay attention before coming back to Caroline. Since it was a private jet, he moved them to the couch on board.

**Paris**

_"Seriously?! This place is insane! I will never be able to look at a pastry the same way again."_

_"Wait until you try the rest of the food here. And then wait until you try food all around the world."_

_"If you can drag me from Paris, I'll try other foods. This place is amazing."_

_"I told you that you would like it. Don't you wish you would have taken my offer years ago now?"_

_"No because you were still the bad guy then and now you're not, so now we can enjoy it without me wondering if you have an evil plan up your sleeve."_

_"Oh I have plans for you while we're here, but I wouldn't call them evil."_

_"Precisely, so let's enjoy ourselves. Don't let me forget to get everyone souvenirs to send back."_

_"I doubt you'll forget love, but I won't let you if you get distracted."_

_"Okay so let's stop at some shops so I can pick out gifts. Then we'll go back to the hotel and I'll have them sent. Then we'll go up and get ready for dinner. Where are we eating?"_

_"I already have you a dress prepared for dinner love. And, it's a surprise where we're eating." _He answered as they threw their trash away and started walking around the gift shops. Caroline found a gift for everyone and dropped them at the lobby to be sent to their owners. When they walked up to their suite, Caroline noticed the bag hanging on their door and gave him a look. She opened it up and smiled before heading off to the bathroom to get ready. Klaus decided to let her get ready and wait to see what she looks like until she came out. He pulled out his tux and started dressing while hearing her singing in the bathroom. When he finished getting ready, he returned to the sitting area and poured him a drink. He made all the dinner preparations and called a driver for them. When he noticed silence, he turned towards the door. Caroline had entered the room with him and was standing right behind him.

_"You look ravishing love."_

_"You don't look so bad yourself."_

_"Are we ready to go?"_

_"After I get a blood bag we are." _She replied and went to get a bag. She downed it and then took a sip of his drink to make sure she didn't have any left in her mouth to be seen. When they walked out the door to dinner, Caroline was thinking about how the next 20 years would be like that; traveling, studying, and enjoying her life. She missed her friends, but she knew that she would see them throughout the years. In that moment, she was happy to be spending her time with Klaus.


	22. Chapter 22

**Epilogue (120 years later)**

Caroline and Klaus were making their way back to New Orleans for Klaus' turn to rule. Things had been fairly peaceful over the last century and not too many people had come to start trouble. When they had, everyone had gathered to stop the problem from escalating and very few deaths had to occur. Usually the leaders couldn't be talked down and had to be executed, but there were times that they became allies. Rebekah and Stefan had stayed together and had been married since the end of Elijah's last reign. When they wed, they announced that he would be ruling by her side with her reigns from then on. Bonnie and Jeremy's descendants were still protected and a few had moved to New Orleans to help out when needed. Elijah and Katherine had been married since his second reign and were wondering when Klaus and Caroline would ever take that step. Klaus had been asking since his first reign, but she insisted they wait until she was ready to be queen before they were married.

_"Have you decided what you want to do this reign?"_

_"Yes I have and I'm going to keep it to myself until we get there like I always do."_

_"You know when you give your answer, it's not just for one question, but for two?"_

_"I know that. Like I said, it's a package deal, so I had to be ready for one to be ready for the other."_

_"Which one is worrying you more?"_

_"You know the answer to that question. I have no problem marrying you for you; it's ruling that I've held back from."_

_"So, if you hadn't been asked to be queen you would have said yes already?"_

_"Yes, before you could blink. Just wait until we get there to hear my answer, okay?"_

_"Sure love. So, what classes are you taking next?"_

_"Well I've taken about everything there is to know out there, so I don't know. Any suggestions?"_

_"You could take a break and wait for something new to be explored. You've been studying for over a century straight."_

_"Perhaps I will. If I got curious, I could just go research a subject on my own. We'll be busy for a while anyway."_

_"Not really love. The city is booming, there are hardly any mishaps anymore, and Rebekah has been complaining about being bored."_

_"She's complaining because she and Stefan have been wanting to make the family larger, but until everyone is in agreement, they can't."_

_"You know why we haven't all agreed yet."_

_"Yes I know that it will make a lot of vampires want access to the spell. We could do the same thing as the daylight rings and limit it to once per couple. I wouldn't want to start a family during a reign anyway. I would wait until the end of one, so the child would have 20 years to go and do what they wanted to do until we had to rule again."_

_"We need to discuss that with the others before we decide anything. We also can't agree to that until you decide to rule. All of you have to be established before we can make negotiations for something like this."_

_"I know. I'm giving an answer in a few minutes, so just be patient a little longer."_

_"Everyone is throwing a ball to welcome us back, you know."_

_"I figured as much when we had to dress up to go to the house."_

_"We'll be welcomed back and Rebekah will pass the duties over to me. Then I will once again ask you your decision. Afterwards, we'll be dancing and discussing the current topics with everyone."_

_"I remember how it goes."_

_"I'm just saying it to pass the time love. I want to know you're decision and it's the only thing I can think of to keep myself distracted."_

_"If you need a distraction, you could always pull over and let us be late."_

_"Plenty of time for that later love. We can't be late getting there or Rebekah will have our heads."_

_"She wouldn't. I've missed everyone. It'll be good to see them."_

_"You just saw them last month."_

_"I know, but still; you know I like to see them as much as we can."_

_"I know love. We're almost there. Are you ready?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Let's get this show started then, shall we?"_

_"Yes. I love you."_

_"I love you too sweetheart." _He replied as he parked the car and handed his keys over so the car could be parked in the garage. He held out his arm for her and led her inside. They found Rebekah and Stefan immediately and she led them to the stairs to call everyone to attention.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to welcome my brother and Caroline back for his turn to reign. I officially pass the rule over to him now."_

_"Thank you Rebekah, it's good to be back. Once we're done talking I need to discuss the current affairs with all the groups and then we can enjoy the rest of the party. Now, it's time for Caroline to once again give us an answer to the decision on whether or not to be a queen. Caroline, you can take over now."_

_"Okay, so I know you all are used to me saying no by now, so I'm going to change it up a bit. I've spent the last 120 years studying, traveling, and preparing myself for this task. Not only have I spent a long time for this, but I've also spent a long time making Klaus wait for my answer about marriage. I knew the two would go hand in hand, so I felt that I couldn't tell him yes until I could lead with him. So, to answer him and everybody here, my decision is yes. I will marry him and I will rule by his side." _She finished with a smile and Klaus kissed her while the crowd clapped for them. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and placed it on her finger before they turned back to the crowd. Klaus asked her when and she told him that she had to plan everything before she could answer him. Rebekah came bounding up to her and launched herself at Caroline, tackling her to the ground. Klaus just laughed until he and Stefan separated them. Katherine came running out and she and Rebekah went to hug Caroline, but they didn't tackle her this time. Caroline told them they all had to talk after the party so they wouldn't leave, and then they all went their own ways for the rest of the party. Caroline stayed with Klaus all night discussing everything that was going on before leading him away to dance.

_"I thought you were going to say no again love."_

_"Did you really want me to torture you with waiting another 20 years before giving you an answer?"_

_"Definitely not love. I'm overjoyed to finally get a yes from you."_

_"It was really hard to keep you waiting that long, but I had to be ready for this."_

_"I know that love. It was definitely worth the wait." _He finished and they continued dancing for the rest of the night. When everybody left, they all gathered in the living room for the next topic on hand. Klaus decided to start off with the rules for them and let Caroline explain her idea for other vampires, to prevent an uprising. _"Okay, now that all of us are ruling together, I know you are all wondering about the fertility spell that we found in the beginning. Caroline and I were discussing it on the way here and she named off some pretty good suggestions on it. I will explain the parts for us and she'll explain how to keep an uprising from beginning once the news has been released. She said she wouldn't want to have a child during a reign and I believe that's a good suggestion. If each of us waits until the end of a reign, it gives the child 20 years for a normal life before having to come back here and be a part of a reign. I know you all have been waiting a long time to use it, but this option is best for the children you would conceive. We would have to keep it limited too. We don't know what reaction we are going to get from the public, so I suggest we keep the procreating to two or three children each. I'll let Caroline explain the next part."_

_"Okay, so to prevent everyone from rioting to get their hands on the spell, we could let couples sign up for a chance to have one of their own. We have profiles on everyone in the city, so we know if they would be lying about anything during the process, but we would have to find couples that have been together for a while. We could do another set of interviews at the beginning of each century to let others get their chance if they aren't approved in the initial interviews. Of course, with vampires reproducing, we would have to set a plan to increase the amounts of blood rationed out for the children. It's nothing we can't do in time, but we would have to have that plan already in place before letting them know. We'll work with everyone to get the blood increase started and we'll tell them that everything will be explained soon. When we have enough stockpiled and a plan set to keep it up, we'll introduce the spell and start interviews. We'll have to limit the amount of children each couple are allowed to have, but I think we could set a limit for two and that will keep them satisfied; but the two would have to be spaced apart by decades at least."_

_"That is a good plan Caroline. How long have you been thinking about it?" _Elijah asked.

_"I know all of you have been waiting and I was trying to figure out how to do it while I was preparing myself for being a queen."_

_"I think the people will be more considerate of a new charter if you introduce it to them and explain the reasons behind it. However, it is wise to prepare beforehand so the people will not have to wait long for the spell to be used."_

_"Yes and they have to understand that it may not work the first time it is used. Even humans have to try for a while sometimes to conceive, so they have to be aware of the fact they could have to wait and retry it."_

_"That is understandable."_

_"So after we get all of this set up, we can really use the spell?" _Rebekah chimed in looking excited.

_"Yes Rebekah. We need to think of the other people before we can act on it for ourselves, but I know I won't be starting it off when the time comes." _Caroline replied and Klaus looked at her. _Don't look at me like that. Katherine and Rebekah have wanted to use this spell longer than I have, they're older than me, and they've been married already. We have plenty of time to do this ourselves and we have to get everything ready over the next 10 years."_

_"With you behind it, we'll have it ready way before then." _Klaus stated.

_"If we have it ready, then we can introduce it at the end of our reign and then pass it over to Elijah and Katherine to start implementing it. When their reign is over, everything should be okay for them to use the spell themselves. Then Rebekah and Stefan can begin their reign and keep everything ordered until they can use the spell. We'll be last so we have the time to make sure everything happens the way it's supposed to happen and we'll be married by then. 30 years isn't long for vampires remember? You were the one to tell me I had to adjust my perceptions of time, so let's take a little more time to make everything perfect before we do this. The people still have to get used to the idea anyway and accept me as your queen. We will do this; we'll just do it when it's the right time." _She finished. With everyone in agreement, they all set out for their own rooms to be with each other for the remainder of the night.

The next morning, Klaus and Caroline set out to start working on all the preparations that would be needed to put their plan in place. The human connections they had agreed to start ordering more blood and stockpiling it. The witches agreed to do the spell with the restrictions that Klaus and Caroline placed on the couples. When they had everyone's cooperation, they went back home and started arranging the meetings between them and the vampires and started pulling up all the profiles of couples in the city. Caroline wanted a head start on the interview process and already had plenty of people set aside as eligible in case they came to be interviewed when the announcements were made.

It took 6 months to finalize everything and have enough blood built up to make the announcement. The vampires had a mixture of reactions with hearing the news. The interviews started out with the oldest vampires that had been together the longest and made their way through the rest over the course of a couple months. They didn't have as many people want the opportunity as they thought they would have, but it worked out without a problem. Most couples had the spell used once to conceive, but a few had to use it a couple times. After everything was finished, Klaus and Caroline got married overlooking the river where Klaus had taken her for their first date in New Orleans. Everyone tried to gather for the wedding and they eventually ran out of room for people to view. Stefan walked her down the aisle before handing her to Klaus and then standing next to Elijah as a groomsman. Elijah, Katherine, Rebekah, and Stefan watched over the city for a week so Klaus and Caroline could have an actual honeymoon. When they came back, they continued ruling until their reign was over again.

Elijah and Katherine were thrilled when their reign was finally over and they could use the spell for themselves. They ended up conceiving a boy that they named after Elijah and Kol. Rebekah and Caroline were ecstatic to be aunts and their husbands had a hard time keeping them from crowding the boy. When Rebekah and Stefan's reign ended, they didn't waste time trying the spell for themselves. It took them two tried and they conceived a girl. Rebekah was thrilled to have a girl instead of a boy and they named her after Stefan's mother and gave her Caroline's middle name for her own middle name. Caroline and Klaus grew nervous when their reign came to an end and they did the spell. It only took once, but it shocked everyone when they conceived twins. They blamed it on the wolf gene and had a boy and a girl. They named their son after Klaus and Henrik and named their daughter after Caroline's mother, Bonnie, and Rebekah. All of the children grew to help their parents during their reigns and travel the world. Eventually they all came to a point where they didn't have problems anymore. They even saw Elena with Enzo on their travels, and then later they saw Damon with a redhead. Nobody stayed long to talk to them, and went on to live the rest of their lives and into eternity.

**THE END**


End file.
